CNN journalist challenges Israeli military spokesperson over bombing of Gaza refugee camp

The loss of refugee lives is a 鈥渢ragedy of war,鈥� Hecht said, but he added that people in northern Gaza had been warned to relocate to the south of the territory. (Screenshot)
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  • At least 50 people reportedly were killed and 150 injured in the airstrike on Tuesday, which authorities in Israel say targeted a Hamas commander
  • 鈥業srael still went ahead 鈥� knowing that a lot of innocent civilians 鈥� men, women and children 鈥� presumably would be killed? Is that what I鈥檓 hearing?鈥� Blitzer asked

LONDON: Veteran CNN journalist Wolf Blitzer confronted an Israeli Defense Forces official during an interview about the airstrike on a refugee camp in Gaza this week that left at least 50 people dead.

IDF officials insist the attack the Jabalia refugee camp on Tuesday was justified as the objective was to eliminate Hamas Commander Ibrahim Biari. But Blitzer pressed military spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht for more information about the decision to proceed with the strike, despite knowing that numerous civilians would be at risk.

鈥淏ut even if that Hamas commander was there amidst all those Palestinian refugees 鈥� Israel still went ahead and dropped a bomb there, attempting to kill the Hamas commander, knowing that a lot of innocent civilians 鈥� men, women and children 鈥� presumably would be killed? Is that what I鈥檓 hearing?鈥� Blitzer asked during the interview on Tuesday.

Hecht repeated that the attack had targeted a Hamas commander and that efforts were made to minimize civilian losses.

鈥淲e, again, were focused on this commander, who you鈥檒l get more data about who this man was 鈥� (he) killed, many, many Israelis,鈥� he said.

鈥淎nd we鈥檙e doing everything we can. It鈥檚 a very complicated battle space. There could be infrastructure there. There could be tunnels there.鈥�

The loss of refugee lives is a 鈥渢ragedy of war,鈥� Hecht said, but he added that people in northern Gaza had been warned to relocate to the south of the territory.

According to the Gaza health ministry, the airstrike on the refugee camp killed at least 50 people and injured 150. Hecht said that 鈥渘umerous Hamas terrorists were hit in the strike,鈥� including Biari, the commander of Hamas鈥� Central Jabaliya Battalion. Israeli officials said he was one of the leaders responsible for sending members of the elite Nukbha special forces unit into Israel to carry out the murderous attacks on Oct. 7. CNN reported that Hamas denies Biari was at the site of the attack.

Many countries and organizations have denounced the strike on the camp, with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry describing it as an 鈥渋nhumane targeting.鈥�