At least 30 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on a school that had been housing displaced people in Gaza on Saturday. This incident marks another tragic event in the ongoing conflict, with the death toll including 15 children and eight women. The strike occurred in the central town of Deir Al-Balah, according to Palestinian health officials and the Hamas-run government media office. Over 100 people were also reported injured in this devastating attack.
The Israeli military, in a statement, claimed the target was a Hamas command and control center within the Khadija school compound. They alleged that the school was being used to launch attacks against Israeli troops and to store weapons. Prior to the strike, they claimed to have warned civilians to evacuate the area. This justification is part of Israel's broader narrative that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and residential areas, as shields for their operations. Hamas has consistently denied these accusations.
At Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, the aftermath of the strike was evident as ambulances and private vehicles rushed the wounded to the medical facility. Some injured individuals arrived on foot, their clothes soaked with blood. Reuters footage depicted scenes of devastation, with fires burning, walls blasted apart, and debris scattered across the schoolyard. Damaged cars added to the chaos, as survivors returned to the site to salvage what they could from the rubble.
Um Hasan Ali, a displaced woman living at the school, recounted the harrowing experience of having her daughter injured in the strike. She had recently returned to Gaza from Egypt, where her daughter had been receiving medical treatment. Another woman, Ibtihal Ahmed, described hearing the heavy strikes while she was in a neighbor's tent. She expressed her anguish over the innocent victims of the attack, emphasizing that the people sheltering in the Khadija school were already wounded and should not have been subjected to further violence.
In the broader context of the conflict, Palestinian official media reported that at least 14 Palestinians were killed in the southern city of Khan Younis earlier on Saturday due to Israeli attacks. The bodies of the victims were taken to Nasser Medical Complex. The Israeli military had urged Palestinians to evacuate southern neighborhoods of Khan Younis temporarily to allow for intense military operations, advising them to move to a designated humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi.
In Al-Bureij refugee camp, five Palestinians lost their lives in an Israeli air strike on a house, while another strike in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, killed four more individuals. These incidents contribute to a mounting death toll and widespread devastation in the Gaza Strip.
The United Nations and various humanitarian organizations have accused Israel of using disproportionate force in the conflict and failing to provide civilians with safe places to evacuate. Israel, however, denies these accusations, maintaining that their military operations are aimed at neutralizing militant threats and that they take measures to minimize civilian casualties.
On Friday, the Israeli military reported ongoing battles with Palestinian fighters in Khan Younis, highlighting the challenges they face in eliminating militant forces. Despite more than nine months of intense conflict following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continue to encounter resistance from small, mobile units of fighters using tactics such as mortar fire and tunnel networks.
In Ramallah, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, attributed the escalation in Israeli attacks to the support Israel receives from the United States. This perspective underscores the broader geopolitical dynamics influencing the conflict.
According to Gaza health authorities, more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the war began. These figures include both combatants and non-combatants, reflecting the widespread impact of the conflict on Gaza's population. Israeli estimates suggest that around 14,000 fighters from groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been killed or captured, out of an initial force of over 25,000.
The conflict, marked by its high human cost and deep-seated political and territorial disputes, continues to draw international concern and calls for a resolution that can bring lasting peace to the region.
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