Death toll from Israeli strike on 'safe zone’ in southern Gaza rises to 11

The death toll from an Israeli strike on tents of displaced civilians in an Israeli-designated "safe zone" in southern Gaza rose to 11, a medical source said.

Two children were among the victims in the attack that targeted al-Mawasi area in western Khan Younis late Sunday, the source added.

Medics had earlier put the death toll from the strike at seven.

The Civil Defense Service confirmed that its teams had recovered the bodies of several victims from the site of the attack.

According to witnesses, the Israeli strike set the tents ablaze with people and civil defense personnel struggling to extinguish the fire.

Israel has systematically targeted civilian facilities, including schools, hospitals, and places of worship in its offensive on Gaza, repeatedly claiming, often without evidence, that they were striking targets belonging to the Palestinian group Hamas.

Under the rules of war, targeting civilian facilities can constitute a war crime.

Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 45,200 people, mostly women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.