Israel says Hamas military chief targeted in strike that killed 71

Israeli Army Radio said on Saturday its military had targeted Hamas’ military chief in a strike on Khan Younis in Gaza, in a strike that the enclave’s health ministry said had killed scores of Palestinians.

Army Radio said it was unclear whether Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif was killed.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the report.

The Gaza health ministry said in a statement that Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received 20 bodies and 90 wounded. The statement didn’t give a final figure of victims moved to other medical facilities.

The Hamas-run media office said at least 100 people had been killed and wounded, including members of the Civil Emergency Service.

A senior Hamas official did not confirm whether Deif had been present.

“The Israeli allegations are nonsense and they aim to justify the horrifying massacre. All the martyrs are civilians and what happened was a grave escalation of the war of genocide, backed by the American support and world silence,” Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in a cross-border raid into southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel has retaliated by military action in Gaza that has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, medical authorities in Gaza say.