Almost 100 strikes in Gaza ‘humanitarian zone’, BBC Verify analysis suggests

The area in Gaza where the Israeli military has told people to go “for safety” has been hit by 97 strikes since May, BBC Verify analysis says.

The findings come as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas appear to be nearing a breakthrough. Mediators in Qatar say negotiations are in the final stages, raising hopes that an agreement can be reached soon.

The “humanitarian zone” was first established by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in October 2023 to “protect” civilians in order to “prevent innocent civilians from harm”.

On 6 May 2024, the IDF significantly expanded the area to include the cities of Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.

The area – much of which is a strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea – is densely populated and is estimated to be home to more than a million people according to international aid agencies. Many people live in tents, limited infrastructure and limited access to aid.

In a statement sent to BBC Verify, the IDF said it was targeting Hamas soldiers working in the “relief zone” and accused the group of violating international law while “exploiting” civilians as human shields and firing rockets into the area.

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s attack on October 7, 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were captured.

The conflict has caused widespread damage to infrastructure across Gaza, with satellite images showing areas stretched by Israeli strikes. The health department run by Hamas also says that more than 46,600 people have been killed in this area since the war began.

Analysis by BBC Verify suggests that attacks inside the “aid zone” have intensified since May 2024, with at least 22 strikes recorded so far this month.

Local media reports indicate that more than 550 people have been killed in the 97 strikes recorded by BBC Verify.

BBC Verify cannot confirm that all incidents are the result of IDF attacks. Israeli military officials have publicly acknowledged 28 attacks since May 6, but have not confirmed the involvement of others, according to BBC Verify.

Gavin Kelleher, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) outreach manager in Gaza said there are “almost daily” strikes on the area, including by Israeli ships and quadcopters, or small drones.

He added that “the big fire keeps multiplying in this area even though it is there [Israel’s] one word ‘humanitarian’.”

“The Israeli military seems determined to maintain the illusion of a Humanitarian Area that remains a certain size, yet that area can be subject to ‘exit orders’ at any time and be targeted,” Mr Kelleher said.

One resident who lives in the area, Khaled Abdel Rahman, told the BBC that residents are bombed every day, often resulting in casualties and injuries.

“We were deported to Khan Younis because it was designated as a safe place, but in reality we find nothing here but insecurity,” said Mr. Rahman. “We are denied a true sense of security, and fear dominates our lives.”

Since Israel does not allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza – except for highly controlled, military-escorted tours – international media, including the BBC, rely on images collected by Palestinian journalists and Gaza residents.

To track the attacks on the IDF’s “relief zone”, BBC Verify monitored Palestinian social media channels and the official IDF channels on Instagram, Telegram and X. Reports of strikes that included confirmed images from within the area’s boundaries were then listed separately by area. media reports to determine the number of reported deaths.

It is important to note that death tolls cannot be confirmed based on videos and social media reports alone. BBC Verify’s analysis excludes reports of casualties in the absence of verifiable photographs that confirmed the incident took place within the boundaries defined by the IDF’s “relief zone”.

BBC Verify reviewed more than 300 videos and photos posted since May to the “help site”. Although it is not always possible to distinguish between fighters and civilians, videos show scores of people, including women and children, being pulled from the rubble. Some appeared lifeless, while others suffered severe burns or leg injuries, near collapsed buildings, collapsed tents and burnt cars.

Seven strikes on record reportedly killed 20 or more people each, with the deadliest on July 13 resulting in more than 90 deaths, according to Gaza’s health ministry, first responders and doctors.

The IDF later said a senior Hamas military officer, Mohammed Deif, was among the dead. Deif is suspected of being one of the figures planning the October 7 attack.

Nine strikes took place within 100m of the Al-Aqsa Hospital buildings in Deir al-Balah, and four within 150m of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.

The IDF told the BBC that the strikes were carried out “against terrorists and terrorist infrastructure including rocket launchers, weapons storage and production facilities, operational areas, underground infrastructure, operational headquarters and terrorist hideouts.”

They also included links to six of their previously published statements about Hamas fighters operating in a “humanitarian environment”.

Residents of the area also live under constant uncertainty. Including evacuation notices, the border of the “humanitarian zone” has changed 20 times – and has changed in size from about 7 km sq (2.7 sq miles) when it was first introduced to 72 km (27.8 sq miles) in size. .

The IDF said the evacuation notices “do not constitute a reduction of the humanitarian area. Once the danger has passed, the civilians return”. But it’s not clear how residents know it’s safe to return, and the IDF has only posted twice on social media to say so explicitly. BBC Verify did not include strikes within areas where eviction notices were issued in our figures.

While the Israeli military has avoided using the term “safe zone”, its statements have led civilians to interpret “relief zone” as such. The IDF’s evacuation notices include language telling civilians – like the one issued in mid-December – “to be safe, rush west to the aid station”.

It also described the area as “designated for humanitarian aid and shelters as part of the IDF’s consistent efforts to protect the excluded.”

But the UN and international aid agencies working in Gaza have said there is no such thing as a “safe zone” that is being inconsistently enforced.

Juliette Touma of the UN refugee agency for Palestine, Unrwa, said: “We have said it too many times. There is no safe place in Gaza. There is no safe place. No one is safe. There is no safe place.”

Additional reporting by Paul Brown.

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