An Israeli air strike on a school in Gaza City has resulted in the deaths of at least 22 Palestinians, with most victims being women and children, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the target was a Hamas command center at the al-Falah school, alleging that the militant group was using the location to coordinate terrorist attacks against IDF personnel and Israel.
The school, which was closed during the ongoing conflict, was reportedly sheltering displaced individuals, according to the health ministry.
The IDF asserted that measures were taken to reduce civilian casualties, such as using precision munitions and conducting aerial surveillance, while accusing Hamas of misusing civilian infrastructure.
The IDF also criticized Hamas for what it termed a systematic violation of international law by operating from civilian areas in the Gaza Strip, which exploits the local populace for its military objectives.
In response, Hamas has denied these allegations, asserting that they do not use schools or other civilian sites for military operations.
The Hamas-run government media office detailed that among those killed in Saturday’s strike in the al-Zaytoun area were 13 children, including a three-month-old infant, as well as six women, one of whom was pregnant. Gaza’s civil defense agency confirmed the same casualty figures.
Additionally, on the same day, the health ministry announced that four of its workers were killed and six others injured during an Israeli targeting of a health ministry warehouse in southern Gaza’s Musabah area, but it did not clarify whether this involved an air strike.
Reports indicate that multiple schools have been targeted by Israeli air strikes since the resumption of conflict with Hamas on October 7. Earlier this month, an UN agency for Palestinian refugees stated that six of its employees were killed in an air strike on al-Jaouni school in Nuseirat refugee camp, which has been serving as a shelter for thousands of displaced Palestinians. The agency noted this was the fifth strike on that location since the conflict began.
The IDF claimed to have executed a “precise strike on terrorists” who were allegedly planning attacks from the school, asserting that nine of those killed were Hamas operatives, with three identified as UN agency staff.
The conflict escalated after a Hamas assault on Israel on October 7 last year, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. In retaliation, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza, leading to over 41,000 fatalities, as stated by the health ministry.
