Eight Palestinians have been killed after an overnight Israeli airstrike hit a tent encampment in Gaza’s Khan Younis, prompting mourners to gather at Nasser Hospital to bid farewell to loved ones.

Displaced residents inspected the damage on Tuesday (19 August), describing the scene as devastating.

“At night while we were sleeping in peace, we woke up to the strike, heavy strike. We sat down to see shrapnels all over us, glass, and our neighbours martyred. We were safe, we got displaced from place to another because they (Israeli army) said that Al Mawasi area is safe, we were staying in a safe zone,” said Palestinian woman Samia Al Masri.

“I was in shock and went to the hospital. I had a breakdown. Children were crying, girls were crying, there were sounds everywhere — fear and tension,” Samia said.

At Nasser Hospital, families gathered next to shrouded bodies, mourning their relatives.

Majed Al Mashoukhi, who lost his daughter and her family in the strike, said he has had enough of living in a war zone.

“They died, and not only them, it hit also the neighbours, some have been martyred and some injured, and I am injured. We can't handle anymore, we can't, enough. God is my suffice and the best disposer of my affairs."

“The family is gone, my daughter is gone, along with her husband and children. They have been erased from the civil registry, only their memory remains, their pictures, their memories. Their son-in-law, who had a car, has been martyred as well, they can't pull him out, and can barely identify him. They became memories,” explained Mashoukhi.

Israel said it takes measures to avoid civilian casualties. Officials say the strikes target Hamas.

The conflict escalated after Hamas-led fighters entered Israel on the 7th of October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Since then, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, triggered a humanitarian crisis, and displaced much of the population.

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