Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 11, health ministry says
At least 11 people have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a school in northern Gaza being used as a shelter by displaced families, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
Women and children were among the dead brought to hospitals following the attack on al-Faluja school in the urban Jabalia refugee camp, according to the ministry.
The Israeli military said a “precise” strike targeted a “command-and-control centre” used by Hamas fighters – something the armed group has previously denied.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said thousands of displaced Palestinians were living there and put the death toll at 15.
Local medics meanwhile told Reuters news agency that at least 14 people were killed.
One resident, Rami Abdul Nabi, said the school was hit by two missiles and that it felt “like an earthquake” as they exploded.
“This should be… a place for the displaced to find a sanctuary, people who have no options left,” he told Reuters. “It was a shocking massacre.”
Many schools have been turned into shelters for the 1.9 million Palestinians who have fled their homes since the war between Israel and Hamas started almost a year ago.
However, at least 61% of schools have been directly hit during the conflict and another 24% have been damaged, according to satellite analysis by the UN and its partners.
Three other schools in northern and central Gaza were struck by Israeli aircraft between last Saturday and Monday, reportedly killing at least 32 people.
As with Thursday’s strike in Jabalia camp, the Israeli military said it had targeted Hamas command centres and that it had taken steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.
It also accused Hamas of systematically violating international law by operating from inside civilian infrastructure.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 41,150 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.
In a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas – a rival of Hamas who is based in the occupied West Bank – appealed to world leaders to end the war.
“Stop this crime. Stop it now. Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue,” he said.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, condemned the speech, saying that Abbas “did not say the word ‘Hamas’ once”.
“Since the massacre of 7 October, Abbas has failed to condemn Hamas for their crimes against humanity,” he added.
The US, Egypt and Qatar are trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release deal, which they also see as key to de-escalating between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. However, US officials have admitted the negotiations have stalled in recent weeks.
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