OOPS, SORRY ABOUT THAT
Israel's military says it used the wrong bombs in strike on a Gaza refugee center that killed at least 86 people

Sam Fellman
Thu, 28 December 2023 

Israeli airstrikes hit a residential area in al Maghazi refugee camp, killing at least 86 people. Israel's military said Thursday this strike caused Ali Jadallah/Anadolu

The Israeli military said its Dec. 24 airstrikes on a refugee camp caused "unintended harm."


Two airstrikes hit seven buildings and killed at least 86 people.


This appears to be the IDF's first admission that it has used excessive force in its air war.

For seemingly the first time, Israel has said an attack in its air war that harmed civilians in Gaza went too far.

Israeli fighter jets launched attacks on a refugee camp in central Gaza on Sunday that killed at least 86 people, including women and children.

The Israeli military now says the bombing caused "unintended harm" to civilians.

The attacks struck the crowded Maghazi refugee camp, where thousands of displaced Palestinians gathered while fleeing Israel's ground and air war against Hamas. Associated Press journalists witnessed the immediate aftermath as survivors carried a dead baby and checked a bloodied girl for injuries.

Israel is carrying out intense bombardments of Gaza in the wake of Hamas' October 7 terrorist attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel, some of whom were tortured and sexually assaulted.

The military's statements Thursday appear to be the first admission by the Israeli military that it had used excessive force in its air war — the leading cause of the 21,100 Palestinian deaths tallied so far by the Hamas-run Health Ministry during the war.

The UN reported that the Israeli strikes hit seven buildings in the refugee camp. The IDF said its forces were targeting Hamas operatives nearby and struck two targets.

"A preliminary investigation revealed that additional buildings located near the targets were also hit during the strikes, which likely caused unintended harm to additional uninvolved civilians," according to an IDF statement.

An unnamed Israeli military official told the Israeli public broadcaster KAN: "The type of munition did not match the nature of the attack, causing extensive collateral damage that could have been avoided."

An Israeli military official said its airstrikes caused widespread damage to the crowded Maghazi refugee center "that could have been avoided."Mahmud Hams/Getty Images

Israel's Western allies are becoming more and more critical of the bombing campaign, calling it "indiscriminate" and even saying it's at odds with Israel's long-term security by radicalizing more Palestinians.

Israel's relentless air attacks have repeatedly struck hospitals, schools, high-rises, and other essential infrastructure; Israel's military says the attacks target Hamas operatives and their extensive tunnel network.

Israel has used large or unguided bombs — certain to cause wide damage in crowded Gaza — in some of the attacks.

Researchers estimate that the damages are widespread; between 36% and 45% of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged.

Israel has struck other refugee centers in its pursuit of Hamas. A Wall Street Journal investigation published Thursday found that the Israeli military attacked the Jabalia refugee center on Oct. 31 without warning civilians. The attack used two of Israel's largest bombs.

The effort killed one Hamas battalion commander — and at least 126 civilians, more than half of whom were children.


Israeli military ‘regrets harm’ after more than 100 killed in refugee camp strike

Anthony France
Thu, 28 December 2023 

Men recover the body of someone killed in the aftermath of an Israeli strike at al-Maghazi refugee camp (AFP via Getty Images)

Israel has said it “regrets the harm” caused by airstrikes that killed dozens of civilians earlier this week.

About 131 people died when the Maghazi and Bureij refugee camps, east of Deir al-Balah, were pounded late on Sunday, according to figures by the United Nation’s human rights office.

An Israel Defense Forces spokesman told the KAN public broadcaster on Thursday: “The type of munition did not match the nature of the attack, causing extensive collateral damage that could have been avoided.”


In a later statement, the IDF said: “A preliminary investigation revealed that additional buildings located near the targets were also hit during the strikes, which likely caused unintended harm to additional uninvolved civilians.”

The IDF said it “regretted the harm” to non-combatants in the incident, saying that the strike had targeted Hamas operatives.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces expanded their ground offensive into urban refugee camps in central Gaza after bombarding crowded Palestinian communities and ordering residents to evacuate.

Despite US calls for Israel to curb civilian casualties and international pressure for a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military was deepening the fighting in retaliation for Hamas gunmen’s murderous assault on October 7.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking to soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip (AP)

Israel blames Hamas for the high civilian death toll in Gaza, citing militants’ use of crowded residential areas and tunnels.

Officials say they killed thousands of the enemy, without presenting evidence.

Israel’s offensive is one of the most devastating military campaigns in recent history.

More than 20,900 Palestinians, two-thirds women and children, have been killed, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, whose count doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants. The agency said 240 people were killed over the past 24 hours.

The UN human rights office said the continued bombardment of middle Gaza had claimed more than 100 Palestinian lives since Christmas Eve. The office noted that Israel had ordered some residents to move there.