CAIRO, Egypt — Israeli airstrikes hit a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza, resulting in 65 casualties, according to the region’s civil emergency service on Tuesday. The Israeli military claimed it targeted a Hamas command structure.

The media office of Gaza, under Hamas control, reported that the death toll exceeded 40, with over 60 individuals injured from the strikes, and many people were still unaccounted for as rescuers continued their efforts early Tuesday.

Residents and medical personnel stated that the tent camp in the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis, labeled a humanitarian safe area by Israel for displaced individuals, endured strikes from at least four missiles. This camp is densely populated with families who were instructed by the Israeli military to relocate there from various regions of the territory.

The Gaza Civil Emergency Service reported that at least 20 tents were engulfed in flames, with missiles leaving craters up to 30 feet deep. Among the 65 victims were women and children, although a detailed report on the casualties was not immediately available.

The Gaza health ministry, responsible for tracking casualties, did not provide an immediate statement. Earlier reports from Hamas-affiliated Shehab News Agency claimed that 40 Palestinians were killed.

The official from Gaza’s civil emergency services remarked, “Our teams are still retrieving bodies and injured people from the impacted area. It resembles a new Israeli massacre.” They added that rescuers faced difficulties searching for victims who might be buried under the debris.

The Israeli military asserted that it targeted key Hamas militants operating within a command center that was situated in the designated humanitarian area in Khan Younis.

According to their statement, “The militants advanced and executed terror attacks against IDF forces and the state of Israel,” referring to the Israeli Defense Forces.

Hamas, the Islamist organization governing Gaza before the current conflict, refuted Israeli claims that armed men were present in the attacked area and denied using civilian regions for military operations.

Hamas stated, “This is a blatant falsehood intended to rationalize these horrific acts. The resistance has repeatedly asserted that none of its members operate within civilian assemblies or utilize these locations for military reasons.”

Residents reported that ambulances hurried back and forth between the tent camp and a nearby hospital, all while Israeli aircraft could still be heard flying overhead.

Almost all of the 2.3 million residents of Gaza have been displaced at least once, with some having to evacuate as many as 10 times.

The current conflict began on October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in 1,200 fatalities and around 250 hostages taken, as per Israeli sources. Following that, the Israeli military’s response in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 40,900 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

Both sides in the conflict attribute the ongoing inability to establish a ceasefire to the other’s actions, which would end the violence and facilitate the release of hostages.