The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carried out a gruesome massacre on Sunday, December 22, 2024, targeting displaced Palestinians in the Mawasi Khan Yunis area, falsely classified as a "safe zone." Israeli aircraft bombed tents housing displaced families during the night, burning many alive, including women and children.
Muhammad Suleiman Madi, a survivor of the massacre, described the horrifying event: "I saw their bodies burning as they ran inside their tents. The flames were so intense that no one could approach to extinguish the fire." Madi, who lost several relatives in the attack, recounted the nightmarish scene, likening it to the horrors of the Day of Judgment. The victims, trapped in flimsy tents in complete darkness, were consumed by flames until their final breaths.
Madi revealed that the Israeli forces had declared Al-Mawasi a safe zone, urging displaced families to seek refuge there after fleeing Rafah. However, the area turned into a death trap. "They kill us like birds," he lamented, recounting how flames engulfed the tents and the people inside, rendering any rescue attempt impossible.
The attack claimed the lives of 11 displaced individuals and injured several others. Among the martyrs were two of Madi's cousins and several neighbors from the camp.
From the scene of the massacre, Ahmed Abu Sitta, another relative of the victims, shared the chilling details. "In Al-Mawasi, displaced people sleep early due to the cold and lack of electricity. Around 9:30 PM, an explosion shook our tent. When we stepped outside, I was horrified to see my relatives engulfed in flames," he recounted.
Abu Sitta mourned his relatives, Bashar and Haitham, whose bodies were so disfigured by the missiles that their identities were only confirmed by their location during the attack. "We couldn’t find a single intact body. If we hadn’t known where they were, we wouldn’t have recognized them after their martyrdom," he said.
The Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis, has become a deadly trap for displaced Palestinians instead of the "safe zone" promoted by the Israeli occupation forces. Over the course of their relentless bombardment, the IOF has turned Mawasi into a killing ground, committing massacres that have claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians, including women and children.
Home to approximately 1.7 million Palestinians forcibly displaced by the Israeli army, Mawasi is a barren, sandy stretch lacking basic necessities. Most of its residents fled relentless bombardment during the attack on Rafah, announced by Israeli forces on May 6.
In the past 24 hours alone, the IOF has carried out five massacres across the Gaza Strip. Hospitals have reported receiving 58 martyrs and 86 injured individuals, while many others remain trapped under rubble or stranded on roads, unreachable by ambulance or civil defense teams due to ongoing attacks.
Since the onset of Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023, the Ministry of Health has documented 45,317 martyrs and 107,713 injuries. The devastating toll continues to mount as Gaza endures one of the most harrowing humanitarian crises in modern history.
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