The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) repeated targeting of displaced people’s tents and aid committees in Al-Mawasi area, southern Gaza Strip. These attacks, which killed 17 people and injured others within less than 24 hours, are part of the ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

According to information gathered by our field researchers, at approximately 19:30 on Sunday, 22 December 2024, an Israeli drone targeted a group of civilians in the vicinity of the Al-Attar area, southwest of Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, killing Adham Muneer Rasmi Al-Rafati (27), and injured another. Later, at approximately 20:40, an Israeli drone targeted a tent sheltering displaced people in southwest Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, killing 10 Palestinians, including three children. Among the dead were a father and his two children, as well as two siblings. Several others sustained injuries from the shrapnel, projectiles, and ensuing fires.

An eyewitness stated that:

“While I was out of my tent, I heard two explosions and saw debris scattering and outbreak of fire about 20 meters away to the north. I rushed to the nearby street to find out what had happened. I saw fires engulfing a sheltered place and nearby olive trees, where IDP’s tents were set up. As I approached, I saw 5 injured people burning. I called for help, and locals began extinguishing the flames. My mother then informed me that my sister (34) had been injured in the incident. I entered her tent and found her unconscious on her mattress, bleeding from her neck. My brother-in-law and I transported her to an ambulance, only to realize he was also wounded in the legs. Both were rushed to the hospital, where my sister was placed in ICU due to the severity of her injuries.”

At around 00:15 on Monday, 23 December 2024, an Israeli drone targeted aid coordination committee members on Al-Rashid Street in Al-Mawasi, west of Rafah, killing three Palestinians and wounding 20 others. Hours later, at 02:49 AM, another drone struck a vehicle carrying aid personnel near Well 19, southwest of Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, killing two. At 08:00, IOF opened machine-gun fire on IDP’s tents in Al-Mawasi, west of Rafah, killing Ziad Joudeh and critically injuring another.

Al-Mawasi stretches 12 kilometers from northwest Khan Younis to southwest Rafah, and 1 kilometer wide. This area, declared a humanitarian zone by IOF early in their genocidal campaign on Gaza, is home to hundreds of thousands of displaced people living in tents, makeshift shelters, greenhouses or in relatives’ houses.

Despite its designation as a safe zone, Al-Mawasi has been subjected to repeated bombing, artillery shelling, and ground attacks and invasion, killing and injuring hundreds of Palestinians.

The continued targeting of al-Mawasi humanitarian zone underscores the absence of any safe haven in the Gaza Strip. IOF forces civilians to congregate in specific areas only to be attacked and killed, consistent with the ongoing genocide that has persisted for 445 days.

The repeated targeting of aid convoys and coordination committees demonstrates IOF’s intent to create chaos, disrupt any local efforts to facilitate aid delivery, and perpetuate starvation by weaponizing food supplies.

PCHR reiterates its urgent call for the international community to take immediate and effective action to stop the genocide, enforce an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and ensure compliance with the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s provisional measures to prevent and halt acts of genocide.