The Israeli military conducted an additional airstrike in Gaza over the weekend, targeting a villa in the Al-Mawasi area in an operation aimed at the top Hamas military commander in the territory. Videos and photographs reviewed by The New York Times show that after the initial strike on the villa, at least one more missile hit a busy street outside the compound where emergency service workers were responding, causing casualties among first responders.
The Israeli military stated that the strike was on military targets of great significance but mentioned that the incident would be investigated further.
Israeli officials reported that the initial strike, directed at Hamas commander Muhammad Deif, involved at least five precision-guided missiles hitting the compound. The subsequent blast near the emergency responders occurred around 100 yards away from the compound’s entrance, indicating a separate strike.
Analysts noted that the second strike was smaller in scale compared to the initial one, with videos capturing the aftermath showing white smoke rising from the crowded street filled with rescuers, bystanders, and injured individuals.
Experts identified shrapnel damage on vehicles near the blast site as consistent with munitions used by the Israeli military. The Civil Defense vehicles at the scene would have been easily visible to the Israeli soldiers launching the strikes.
In the aftermath of the airstrikes, videos depicted scenes of people carrying the dead and injured away from the site, some wearing bright orange Gaza Civil Defense vests.
An aerial image released by the Israeli military and analyzed by The Times suggested that the initial strike resulted in a significant crater, indicating the use of a powerful bomb. President Biden had halted the delivery of such weapons to Israel since May due to concerns about potential civilian casualties.
