At least 16 people were killed in an Israeli attack on a mosque in the city of Deir el-Balah, located in the central part of the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported. Al Mayadeen writes about 18 dead. According to the publications, there were displaced people there.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in turn reported a “precision strike against Hamas terrorists” operating in a command and control center located in a building that formerly served as the Shuhada al-Aqsa mosque in the area of Deir al-Balah. The military stressed that it took “numerous measures to reduce the risk of harm to civilians” before the attack, including the use of precision-guided munitions.
Israel has been at war with Hamas since October 7, when the militants attacked territories in southern Israel. According to the Israeli side, about 1.2 thousand people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage. The IDF is carrying out a ground operation in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.