Norwegian FM condemns Israeli airstrike in Gaza

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide condemned an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

"I condemn the Israeli airstrike this morning on a 'safe zone' in Khan Younis. All parties have an obligation to protect civilians in warfare," Eide said in a statement.

According to the minister, the presence of armed groups in the area did not nullify Israel's obligation to comply with international humanitarian law. "The war must end," he affirmed.

At least 40 Palestinians were killed and more than 60 others wounded in the Israeli airstrike on tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, Palestinian and Israeli sources said Tuesday.

"Israeli warplanes launched rockets at tents housing displaced Palestinians at the entrance to Muwasi in Khan Younis, causing widespread destruction and resulting in numerous casualties," Palestinian medics told Xinhua.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that the attack targeted senior Hamas leaders operating from a hidden command center in a humanitarian area of Khan Younis. These individuals, he said, were involved in planning and executing "terrorist operations" against the army and Israeli civilians.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage.

The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 41,020, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Tuesday.