An Israeli airstrike on a school compound in Gaza, where displaced families were seeking shelter, reportedly killed around 100 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza government on Saturday. The Israeli military stated that the strike was aimed at Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants operating from the site.
Footage from the location revealed scenes of devastation, with body parts scattered, victims being carried away, and personal belongings like burnt mattresses and a child’s doll amidst the debris. The Hamas-run media office reported that the airstrike occurred as people were performing dawn prayers at the school, leading to significant casualties.
Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defence, reported in a televised news conference that over 93 people, including 11 children and six women, were killed, with some remains yet to be identified. Approximately 6,000 people were sheltering at the school at the time of the attack, though the Gaza health ministry has not yet provided specific casualty details.
The Israeli military, in a statement, claimed that the death toll reported by Hamas was exaggerated, asserting that around 20 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were present at the site. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani stated that the compound, including a mosque within it, was being used as a military facility by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Israel has accused Palestinian militant groups of using civilian areas, such as schools and hospitals, as shields for their operations, a claim Hamas and its allies deny. In response, Hamas condemned the strike as a “horrific crime” and a serious escalation, stating that the victims were all civilians.
The incident comes as tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians seek refuge in Gaza’s schools, which have largely ceased functioning since the war began 10 months ago. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesperson urged the United States to halt its support for Israel, which he claims is leading to the deaths of innocent civilians. Egypt also condemned the strike, expressing concerns that it undermines efforts to end the conflict.
Amid these developments, Egypt, the United States, and Qatar have scheduled new ceasefire talks, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his stance that the war will continue until Hamas is no longer a threat to Israel. Hamas, meanwhile, is reportedly considering the new offer for negotiations but has not provided further details.
Israel’s offensive on Gaza began after Hamas militants launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. Since then, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing conflict, with the majority being civilians, according to health officials. Israel, which has lost 329 soldiers, claims that at least a third of the Palestinian casualties are militants, while Iran-backed Hamas does not release its casualty figures.