Israel Says Hamas Fired Rockets From Near Gaza Shelters

Israel accused Hamas on Thursday of firing rockets from what it called “humanitarian zones” in the southern Gaza Strip where thousands of desperate Palestinians have sought refuge, adding to concerns that no place in the battered enclave may be truly safe for civilians.

The Israeli military posted maps, satellite photos and a video that it said showed 14 rockets had been fired toward Israel from several locations, including Al-Mawasi, a barren area where, aid groups said, thousands of people were sheltering in rickety tents made of wood and plastic, with little food, medicine and water.

The military said the rocket fire from those locations was further evidence that Hamas, the armed group that controls Gaza and led the Oct. 7 cross-border attack on southern Israel, “abuses the people of Gaza, utilizing them for its acts of terror.”

Hamas did not immediately respond to Israel’s claims.

The video released by Israel shows what appears to be a rocket-launching position about 109 yards from the edge of a tent city where thousands of civilians have been seeking shelter on the outskirts of Rafah, near the Egyptian border. It is also about 270 yards from the largest logistics base in Gaza used by the United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees.

The video does not show rockets being fired, but displays the launch site before and after the reported launches. The New York Times could not verify the claim that rockets had been fired from the site.

The area has long been used by Hamas as a training base, and it was used to practice paragliding in the lead-up to the Oct. 7 attacks, according to Hamas video that was geolocated by The Times using satellite imagery. A mock Israeli village used in Hamas’s training exercises lies about 1,000 yards from the rocket launch position, along with firing ranges and other Hamas training infrastructure.