An Israeli air strike on a UN school in central Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 27 displaced people, according to local residents.
The school, located in the Nuseirat refugee camp, was housing hundreds of people who had been displaced by ongoing conflict.
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, stating it targeted a “Hamas compound” within the school. Local journalists reported that two missiles were fired at classrooms on the top floor of the school by an Israeli warplane.
The Hamas media office reported at least 27 fatalities from the strike and accused Israel of perpetrating a “horrific massacre.” Ambulances and rescue teams were seen rushing to transport the injured and deceased to a nearby hospital. Social media footage displayed the aftermath, with destroyed classrooms and bodies wrapped in shrouds.
An injured woman, speaking in one video, cried out, “Enough war! We have been displaced dozens of times. They killed our children while they were sleeping.”
Ismail al-Thawabta, the director of the Hamas media office, denied Israeli claims that the school concealed a Hamas command post. “The occupation uses false fabricated stories to justify the brutal crime it conducted against dozens of displaced people,” he told Reuters.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the strike as a “precise” operation against a Hamas compound embedded within the UNRWA school in Nuseirat. The IDF claimed the strike eliminated Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists involved in the October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.
Since the conflict escalated in October, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported at least 36,580 fatalities. The IDF asserted that measures were taken prior to the strike to minimize the risk to uninvolved civilians.
The incident has sparked further outcry and calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, as the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.
Chioma Kalu
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