September 2024 Al-Mawasi Refugee Camp Attack

On 10 September 2024, between midnight and 1 am, the Israeli military carried out airstrikes on a refugee camp in Al-Mawasi, near Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. The area had been designated by Israel in December 2023 as a humanitarian "safe zone" for displaced Palestinians during the Gaza war, though it had already been struck in May, June, and July 2024. At the time of the September attack, roughly 86% of the Gaza Strip was under evacuation orders, and more than 1.9 million Palestinians had been displaced.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes struck the camp with at least five missiles, leaving three large craters in the sand as deep as 9 meters. Several refugee tents caught fire from the resulting explosions. Palestinian Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal said no warnings were given prior to the strikes and that the bombs destroyed 20 to 40 tents, causing "entire families" to be buried in the sand. Between 19 and 40 Palestinians were killed, over 60 others were injured, and several people were reported trapped under rubble. Ambulance and civil defense teams described difficulties retrieving bodies, and footage showed civilians digging in the sand by hand to search for survivors. The Palestinian Civil Defence described the attack as a massacre.

Weapons experts cited by CNN said visual evidence from the strike suggested the use of 2,000-pound bombs, while Al Jazeera's verification unit Sanad reported that Israel may have used US-made Mark 84 bombs against the displaced population.

Hamas denied stationing fighters in Al-Mawasi and characterized Israeli accusations as an attempt to justify what it called "ugly crimes." Israel stated that the strike targeted "significant Hamas terrorists" allegedly operating a "command-and-control center," and said it had taken steps to reduce civilian harm, including use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the strike. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called the use of heavy weaponry in densely populated areas "unconscionable" and said "there is no safe place in Gaza." UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland also condemned the strike on a densely populated area sheltering displaced people. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the strike "shocking" and called for an immediate ceasefire.

The Norwegian Refugee Council accused Israel of forcing Palestinians to repeatedly flee without genuine safety assurances. The Council on American–Islamic Relations condemned the airstrikes, accusing Israel of treating Palestinians without regard for their lives.