Israeli Army Radio reported on Saturday, citing three defense sources, that the target of the raid on the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza was very significant. Israeli media reported that the air force conducted extensive attacks on several sites in Khan Younis with the aim of eliminating the commander of the Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif.
Army Radio indicated that "Deif was hiding above ground in a humanitarian area west of Khan Younis." It added that "Rafif Salama, the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, was also among the targets of the Israeli strike." Israeli media quoted the Shin Bet stating: "Mohammed Deif and Rafif Salama were above ground at the time of the attack in Khan Younis."
It explained: "We attempted to eliminate Deif, and assessments indicate that there were no hostages nearby." Meanwhile, the newspaper "Maariv" stated: "Security agencies are optimistic about the results of the operation." It added: "According to known information, the General Security Service reported overnight that Deif had arrived at a tent complex in the Al-Mawasi area and was hiding inside the complex."
It continued: "The Israeli army decided not to take risks and several fighter planes conducted a massive bombing campaign, which included dropping dozens of tons of bombs from fighter jets." The newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" noted that "military officials speculate that Mohammed Deif sustained serious injuries in the attack."
**Casualties**
Medical sources affiliated with Hamas reported that at least 71 people were killed in the Israeli attack on Khan Younis, and 289 others were injured. The health ministry affiliated with Hamas condemned the "brutal massacre of the occupation against civilians and displaced persons."
**What Happened?**
On Saturday, the Israeli army announced that it was continuing operations in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the city of Gaza, following artillery shelling and airstrikes conducted by Israeli drones. In central Gaza, paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent reported the recovery of four victims, a father and his three daughters, after their home was bombed in Deir al-Balah.
In the north, eyewitnesses saw Israeli soldiers withdrawing from several neighborhoods in Gaza City, where civil defense announced the discovery of around 60 corpses in the Al-Sindiyya and Tal al-Hawa neighborhoods in the southwest of the city.
On Thursday, civil defense announced finding 60 additional bodies in the Al-Shuja'iyya neighborhood in the east of the city, which has seen intense fighting for nearly two weeks. On Saturday morning, reports indicated that artillery shelling was targeting the southeast of Gaza City and the center in the Al-Rimal neighborhood, in addition to drone attacks in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood.
The war erupted on October 7 following an unprecedented attack by Hamas in southern Israel, which resulted in the death of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to a count by AFP based on official Israeli data. Among the 251 people kidnapped during the attack, 116 are still being held in Gaza, 42 of whom have died, according to the army.
In response to Hamas's attack, Israel vowed to eliminate the movement and launched a devastating large-scale offensive that has so far resulted in 38,345 deaths, the majority of whom are civilians, according to the health ministry in the Gaza Strip.
