Reuters: Nearly 30 Football Spectators Killed by Israeli Missile Strike in Eastern Khan Younis

Reuters reported, citing witnesses in southern Gaza, that an Israeli missile struck a tent where "Palestinian refugees had gathered to watch a football match in a school there" on Tuesday, July 9. According to Reuters, quoting officials from the Hamas militant group, at least 29 people, most of whom were women and children, were killed in this attack. The report stated that this school was located in an area in eastern Khan Younis. The Israeli army announced that it is investigating reports indicating civilian casualties. The Israeli army stated that this incident occurred when the military targeted a Hamas militant involved in the attack on October 7 of last year using "precise" munitions. Hamas militants killed at least 1,200 people in that attack and took more than 250 hostages. Following that, Israel launched an attack on Gaza with the aim of destroying Hamas. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli military operation since then. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields. Additionally, the U.S. National Intelligence Agency warned about the Islamic Republic's cyber campaign to exploit the Gaza war. Reports indicate that the Israeli army did not immediately respond to requests for comments on whether it knew a football match was taking place at the time the attack order was issued. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued their attacks in northern and central Gaza on Wednesday, July 20. In this context, Hamas stated that "the escalation of Israeli military operations diverts efforts for a ceasefire agreement in the nine-month war." Ceasefire negotiations were set to resume on Wednesday in Doha. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he told Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy for Middle East affairs, in Jerusalem that he is committed to ensuring a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, provided that Israel's red lines are respected. Hamas has accepted a significant part of the U.S. plan aimed at ending the nine-month war and has dropped its demand that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing an agreement. Mr. Netanyahu emphasized that this agreement should not prevent the resumption of Israeli attacks and the realization of its war objectives. According to Reuters, the Israeli army dropped leaflets over the city of Gaza that contained a map indicating "safe routes" for the evacuation of the entire city, not just specific areas. These leaflets urged civilians to move towards southern Gaza. The city of Gaza housed more than a quarter of Gaza's population before the war. This city was devastated by Israel in the early weeks of last year's war, but it is reported that hundreds of thousands of its residents have returned to the ruins in recent months. The Israeli army stated that its forces continue operations in the city of Gaza against Hamas militants and their allied group, Islamic Jihad. These two groups are supported by the Islamic Republic. The Israeli army claims that these groups have conducted operations from within UNRWA facilities (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) and have used these facilities as a base for attacks. The "Palestinian Red Crescent" also announced that it has received dozens of calls from residents of the city of Gaza who are trapped in their homes, but due to the intensity of the bombardment, its teams have been unable to reach them. On the other hand, the Israeli army announced that one of its soldiers was killed in clashes on Tuesday in central Gaza. So far, 681 Israeli forces have been killed since October 15 of last year. Yoav Gallant, Israel's Defense Minister, stated on Wednesday that 60% of Hamas militants have been killed or wounded as a result of the military operations in Gaza. The Israeli military operation has intensified alongside diplomatic efforts to establish a ceasefire in Gaza.