Israeli military expresses regret for air strike on Gaza refugee camp that killed dozens

An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman said on Thursday that fighter jets had “struck two targets adjacent to which Hamas operatives were located on December 24”.

“Before the strikes were carried out, steps were taken by the IDF to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians in the area.

“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.”

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The incident is now being dealt with by a special committee within the army, which is responsible for investigating “exceptional incidents that occur during combat”.

Israel’s KAN broadcaster reported, citing an unnamed military official, that the investigation had revealed that the appropriate ammunition was not used in the attack, leading to the extensive damage.

“This could have been prevented if the right ammunition had been chosen for the operation,” the broadcaster reported.

Israeli strikes in Gaza have repeatedly struck hospitals, which are protected under international humanitarian law, and desperation is growing among medical staff over their inability to treat people.

The Israeli military accuses Hamas of having tunnels under hospitals and using the medical facilities as command centres, a charge the Islamist group denies.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse