According to both Israeli and Hamas sources, the attack on al-Mawasi impacted the ceasefire negotiations, but they were still ongoing. The IDF stated: "Our attack in Mawasi Khan Yunis targets Al-Deif, the commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade, Rafi Salama, and other Hamas activists". It has also claimed that it acted on "precise intelligence" to hit an area where "two senior Hamas terrorists" were hiding. • Defense Minister
Yoav Gallant wrote in a statement on August 1, upon confirmation of Deif's death in the strike: "Mohammed Deif, the '
Osama Bin Laden of Gaza,' was eliminated on 13.07.24. This is a significant milestone in the process of dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in Gaza and in the achievement of the goals of this war." •
Media: Haaretz journalist
Gideon Levy titled his opinion piece on the event,
"How Many Dead Children in Gaza Is Mohammed Deif Worth?" In the article he said,
"Israel will pay the price for this assassination, just as it has paid directly and indirectly, immediately or eventually, for every previous assassination".
Palestine • : Hamas also stated that "It is not the first time Israel claims to target Palestinian leaders, only to be proven false later". • : the movement condemned the attack, stating that "The horrific massacre committed by the Zionist entity in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis is an insistence on continuing the war of extermination against our people," • • Spokesman
Nabil Abu Rudeineh said that US bears responsibility for Israel's actions, and also stated that "The massacre in al-Mawasi is a continuation of the
genocidal war against our people". •
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa has condemned Israel's "genocidal crimes" in Gaza. •
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that Israel and the US were responsible for the attack on al-Mawasi. •
Protests: Hundreds of Palestinian protested in the West Bank against Israel's attacks on Al-Mawasi and
Al-Shati camp which killed at least 22 people, protests were held in the cities of
Ramallah,
Jenin,
Hebron and
Tubas.
International • :
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the attacks "unacceptable" and stated it was "appalling" that Israel was continuing "to collectively punish the Palestinian people" with "endless massacres". • :
President Gustavo Petro stated that he was outraged after the attack on
X. • : The
Foreign ministry strongly condemned the attack. • : Foreign policy chief
Josep Borrell has called for "access to independent investigations and accountability". Borrell further stated the attack represented a possible
war crime, stating, "Wars have limits enshrined in international law; end can't justify all means. We condemn any violation". • : Secretary-General
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi has condemned the attack, saying that the raid was "evidence of the series of systematic and ongoing Israeli crimes against the brotherly Palestinian people". •
Hezbollah:
Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said: "Today, the occupation carried out a large massacre against displaced people in al-Mawasi in Khan Younis. Then it justified it by saying it wanted to target [Hamas] leaders," further saying "Are there worse injustices and oppression in the world?" •
Houthi movement: The group condemned the attack, calling Israel's leaders "
war criminals" and stated that "The enemy's false claims about targeting leaders in the Palestinian resistance cannot cover up the ugliness of its crimes,". • :
Nasser Kanaani, a spokesperson for the
Iranian foreign ministry condemned the attack, stating on X that the attack was the "latest crime in the series of crimes committed by the child-killing
Zionist regime". • :
Foreign ministry spokesperson
Sufyan al-Qudah condemned the attack. • : The
foreign ministry condemned the attack, stating that "This heinous and appalling attack, which took place inside an area Israel designated itself as a safe zone for Palestinians, is a flagrant disregard for all human life,". • : The country calls the attack "a brutal and shocking massacre, and a new incident to be added to the ongoing series of occupation crimes against the Palestinian people and
all of humanity", the foreign ministry calls for an international action against Israel. • : The
Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attack and called for "activating international accountability mechanisms" against Israel. • : The
ministry of Foreign Affairs called the attack "a phase of the Netanyahu government's effort to annihilate the Palestinians entirely", stating that all countries should stop Israel's "barbarism". •
UNICEF: Chief Catherine Russell stated that "Children must be protected. Hostages must be released. The suffering must end," after the attack. •
UNRWA: Chief
Philippe Lazzarini quoted a Palestinian mother that lost her 8-year-old child and had another one injured by the attack, she further stated that "Yesterday's attack and the mass casualties are a stark reminder that no one is safe in Gaza, wherever they are". Scott Anderson, the UNRWA director in Gaza stated, "Parents told me in despair that they had moved into the 'so-called humanitarian zone' in the hope that their children would be safe there." •
OHCHR: In a statement, the UN human rights office condemned Israel's "use of weapons with area effects in populated areas of Gaza, including in areas which IDF has itself designated as humanitarian zones, killing many civilians".
International NGOs •
ActionAid: the humanitarian group condemned the attack. •
Council on American–Islamic Relations: The group calls for the end of US support on Israel. •
Islamic Relief: The charity organization condemned the "brutal killing and wounding of hundreds of civilians". Staff described "scenes of absolute destruction" and the organization called the attack "a terrifying precedent for a nation state to set". •
Médecins Sans Frontières: Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, the deputy medical coordinator stated "I have never seen a mass casualty event like [Saturday],". •
Medical Aid for Palestinians: The UK-based charity organization calls for the British government to "act urgently to suspend arms sales to Israel and prevent further atrocities". •
Oxfam: The UK-based organization condemned the attack. == See also ==