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Warplanes Strike Gaza Refugee Camp as Israel Rejects US Push for Pause in Fighting

Palestinians search for casualties, at the site of Israeli strikes on houses, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at the Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza Strip, November 5, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
Palestinians search for casualties, at the site of Israeli strikes on houses, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at the Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza Strip, November 5, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
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Warplanes Strike Gaza Refugee Camp as Israel Rejects US Push for Pause in Fighting

Palestinians search for casualties, at the site of Israeli strikes on houses, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at the Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza Strip, November 5, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
Palestinians search for casualties, at the site of Israeli strikes on houses, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at the Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza Strip, November 5, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Israeli warplanes struck a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip early Sunday, killing at least 33 people and wounding dozens, health officials said. The strike came as Israel said it would press on with its offensive to crush Hamas, despite US appeals for a pause to get aid to desperate civilians.
The soaring death toll in Gaza has sparked growing international anger, with tens of thousands from Washington to Berlin taking to the streets Saturday to demand an immediate ceasefire.
Israel has rejected the idea of halting its offensive, even for brief humanitarian pauses proposed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his current tour of the region. Instead, it said that the besieged enclave’s Hamas rulers were “encountering the full force” of its troops.
“Anyone in Gaza City is risking their life,” Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said.
Large columns of smoke rose as Israel’s military said it had encircled Gaza City, the initial target of its offensive against Hamas. Gaza’s Health Ministry has said more than 9,400 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in nearly a month of war, and that number is likely to rise as the assault continues.
Early Sunday, airstrikes hit the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 33 people and wounding 42, said Ashraf al-Qidra, the spokesman for the Health Ministry.
He said first responders, aided by residents, were still searching the rubble for dead or possible survivors.
The camp, a built-up residential area, is located in the evacuation zone where Israel’s military had urged Palestinian civilians in Gaza to seek refuge as it focuses its military offensive in the northern areas.
Despite such appeals, Israel has continued its bombardment across Gaza, saying it is targeting Hamas fighters and assets everywhere.

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Arab World

Revenge Attacks in Rural Damascus Raise Human Rights Concerns

Syrian security forces in Umayyad Square, Damascus, on January 8. (AFP)
Syrian security forces in Umayyad Square, Damascus, on January 8. (AFP)
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Revenge Attacks in Rural Damascus Raise Human Rights Concerns

Syrian security forces in Umayyad Square, Damascus, on January 8. (AFP)
Syrian security forces in Umayyad Square, Damascus, on January 8. (AFP)

Residents of Dummar, a suburb west of Damascus, publicly celebrated the execution of former local official Mazen Knaineh on Friday, raising alarm among civil society and human rights activists.

They called for justice and warned against lawless acts of revenge by armed groups.

Local sources said Knaineh had ties to Syrian security forces under former President Bashar al-Assad, particularly Branch 215, accused of killing detainees. Opposition figures claim he aided government raids on Dummar and Hameh in 2016.

The execution was reportedly carried out by armed locals who recently joined the new administration’s security forces. Residents had demanded his death, blaming him for the loss of many family members.

The incident has fueled calls to stop revenge killings and ensure justice is pursued legally in Syria’s fragile post-conflict period.

Civil society activists have raised concerns over the growing trend of extrajudicial executions in Syria, warning that such acts undermine the hopes of building a “new state” grounded in law and justice.

Lawyer and civil rights activist Rahada Abdosh expressed strong opposition to field executions, stating they are not a path to healing.

“Revenge will only bring more destruction to the country,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The abuse of corpses and the execution of individuals in front of children and their families is particularly troubling.”

Abdosh emphasized the need for specialized courts to prosecute those responsible for violence and bloodshed.

“We must hold everyone accountable for the harm they’ve caused,” she added.

Ahe warned that allowing groups to take action based on public complaints or accusations of crimes could repeat the abuses of the Assad regime, which carried out executions without trials.

She said this could “legitimize” the regime’s actions and noted that some accusations might be driven by personal revenge or unverified claims, risking more innocent victims.

Abdosh called on the current government to stop individual executions and abuses, urging the creation of a field court for fair trials. She stressed that transitional justice must include both acknowledging the crimes and offering compensation.

“Anything outside the law is a crime, and could be considered a war crime,” she added, highlighting that this could harm the government’s efforts to rebuild the country.

Sources close to Damascus military operations told Asharq Al-Awsat that there is increasing public pressure on the new administration to quickly deliver justice.

They noted that many families are grieving and impatient, while the government continues work on restoring security, disarming groups, and rebuilding, which will take time.

Civil activist Salma Al-Sayyad expressed her empathy for the grieving families in Dummar but warned that emotional reactions like vigilante justice could harm innocent people and fuel revenge.

“While I understand their pain and their desire for justice, I fear this could lead to more injustice,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Al-Sayyad called for a future Syria based on the rule of law, where justice is carried out through fair trials, clear evidence, and a judge.

“We need an independent judicial system,” she emphasized.

In related developments, Syria’s military operations launched a large security campaign in rural Damascus, targeting individuals connected to the ousted regime.

This has led to clashes in areas like Qudsayya, where former regime officers and loyalist fighters are concentrated.