Middle East updates: Israeli strike kills dozens — medics
Published September 10, 2024last updated September 10, 2024
What you need to know
Gaza's civil defense service said on Tuesday that at least 40 people were killed and another 60 were injured after Israel struck the Mawasi area of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
The area had been designated as a humanitarian zone by Israel. Palestinian news agencies also reported that there were 40 deaths.
Israel said that its strike targeted a Hamas command center in the area. It accused Hamas of "abusing" humanitarian zones for military purposes.
Meanwhile, Jordan is holding parliamentary elections, with the kingdom's ties with Israel a major point of contention for voters.
Here's a look at the latest in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and other parts of the Middle East.
Jordan holds parliamentary elections amid Gaza anger
Jordan is holding parliamentary elections on Tuesday, with the war in Gaza and its effect on the country's tourism industry being a major point of contention for voters.
Polls opened at 7:00 am (0400 UTC) local time Tuesday.
The election is the first since the passage of a reform that increased the number of seats in the house, increased the number of reserved seats for women and lowered the minimum age for candidates.
In 1994, Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel, making it the second Arab state after Egypt to do so.
Around half of the kingdom's population is of Palestinian origin, and there have been regular protests calling for the cancelation of the treaty.
The opposition Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, has voiced its opposition to normalization with Israel.
The IAF is Jordan's largest opposition party, but it is only presenting 38 candidates for the 138-seat assembly.
Jordan has seen a decline of tourism since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7. The sector provides around 14% of the kingdom's GDP.
Jordan's parliament has limited power, with King Abdullah II having the final say on policy decisions.
Germany's Steinmeier to visit Egypt
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is set to visit Egypt's capital Cairo on Tuesday where he is expected to discuss the crisis in the Middle East with Egyptian officials.
He also seeks to acknowledge the "deep, historic, growing and diverse ties between Egypt and Germany," according to his office.
Steinmeier's office said that Egypt is a "central foreign policy and security actor in the region and a dedicated negotiator in the current crisis in the Middle East."
Egypt has acted as a mediator in talks between Israel and the Hamas militant group alongside the US and Qatar in efforts to bring about a cease-fire and hostage release deal.
Israeli strike kills dozens in humanitarian zone — Gaza civil defense agency
An Israeli strike on a humanitarian zone in the south of the Gaza Strip killed at least 40 people and injured dozens more, according to the civil defense agency in the Hamas-run enclave.
The AFP news agency cited civil defense official Mohammed al-Mughair as saying that 40 people were killed and 60 were injured in the strike.
The Shehab news agency, which is affiliated with Hamas, and the Wafa news agency, which is linked to the Fatah party that dominates the Palestinian National Authority based in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, also reported 40 deaths.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it had targeted a Hamas command center in the area and accused Hamas of using human shields.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) accused Palestinian militant groups of continuing to "systematically abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, including the designated Humanitarian Area, to carry out terrorist activity against the State of Israel and IDF troops."
Hamas denied claims that its fighters were present at the site, calling it a "blatant lie."
The strike hit the Mawasi area of the southern city of Khan Younis, which had been designated as a humanitarian area by Israel.
The Gaza civil emergency service said at least 20 tents caught on fire and missiles caused craters as deep as nine meters (30 feet).
sdi/kb (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)