Beirut, July 13 (RHC)-- Hamas has issued a statement saying Israel’s claim that it targeted Hamas leaders in the air attacks on al-Mawasi that killed at least 71 people and wounded hundreds was “false.”

“It’s not the first time Israel claims to target Palestinian leaders, only to be proven false later.”

Here’s the statement by Hamas in full:

“The Al-Mawasi massacre in Khan Yunis is a continuation of the Nazi genocide against our people. The American administration is an immediate direct partner in this crime.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this horrible al-Mawasi massacre in Khan Yunis, which is a dangerous escalation in the series of crimes and massacres being committed in the Gaza Strip by neo-Nazis. These massacre are unprecedented in the history of wars.

“This heinous massacre committed by the Zionist occupation army against al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis city, which has been classified by the occupation army as safe areas and to which the Palestinian citizens were asked by the Israelis to move. The occupation warplanes, artillery and drones have intensively and successively targeted the displaced people tents with various types of weapons, killing hundreds. The martyrs and wounded are innocent and defenceless civilians.

“Israel’s allegations about targeting leaders are false and it is not the first time Israel has claimed to target Palestinian leaders, where their lies were proven false later. These false allegations are merely a way to cover up the big scale of the horrific massacre.

“The al-Mawasi massacre in Khan Yunis has been committed against an area that is crowded with more than eighty thousand displaced people. This is an obvious and clear confirmation from the Zionist government that it will continuing its war of extermination against our Palestinian people, through repeatedly and systematically targeting the defenceless displaced civilians in tents, shelters and residential neighbourhoods. This is a commitment of their ongoing heinous crimes against the civilians, without putting into consideration and paying attention to any of the laws of war that enforce the protection of civilians.

“The continuous disregard of the international laws and treaties, and these widespread violations against the defenseless civilians, wouldn’t have ever continued without the support provided by the American administration to the Zionist extremist government and its terrorist army, via covering up their crimes, and providing them with all means of political and military support, and paralyzing the hand of international justice from carrying out its role towards these crimes, which makes the US administration a full partner with Israel.”