D ozens of people have reportedly been killed in Israeli air strikes targeting two schools in Gaza, according to Palestinian rescuers and news sources. Some of the casualties were displaced individuals taking refuge in the schools, rescuers said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strikes, claiming that the schools in Gaza City were being used by Hamas as “command and control centres.” This incident marks the third time in a week that schools in Gaza have been hit by Israeli air strikes.
The IDF stated that the schools were utilized by Hamas's al-Furqan Battalion for hiding its operatives and planning attacks against IDF forces and Israel. Social media footage purportedly shows bodies inside one of the schools as rescuers worked to evacuate the injured, including children.
Palestinian media reported that at least 30 people were killed in the strikes, with most of the victims being women and children. Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defence, indicated that more individuals might still be trapped under the rubble.
The air strikes on al-Nasr and Hassan Salama schools occurred on the same day as an attack on a camp for displaced people and a hospital in central Gaza, which reportedly resulted in at least five deaths. Earlier in the week, an air strike on Hamama School in Gaza City killed at least 17 people, and a strike on Dalal al-Mughrabi School resulted in 15 deaths, according to officials.
The IDF asserts that it aims to minimize civilian casualties during its operations, but the Palestinian Civil Defence has condemned the attacks as “a massacre.”
In a separate incident on Sunday morning, two people were killed in a stabbing attack in the Israeli city of Holon. The Palestinian attacker was subsequently shot dead by police.
The ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, which began on October 7 following a large-scale attack by Hamas on Israel, has resulted in significant casualties on both sides. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 39,480 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict started.
0 Comments