Gaza’s civil defense agency reported Thursday that Israeli forces killed at least 25 people, including 12 individuals in an airstrike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians.
The strike targeted the Mustafa Hafez School in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighborhood, where thousands have sought refuge from the ongoing conflict that erupted in October 2023. Civil defense official Mohammad al-Mughayyir told reporters, “Twelve martyrs, the majority of them children and women, were killed, and a large number were injured in the Israeli airstrike on the school, which shelters displaced persons.”
Footage from the scene showed children wandering through the devastated building, with smoldering debris and charred rubble surrounding them. Distraught residents sifted through the wreckage in search of belongings and survivors.
The Israeli military stated it was investigating the reports of the strike on the school, as well as another incident in central Gaza. According to al-Mughayyir, Israeli gunfire killed six people and injured many others near an aid distribution site where Palestinians were seeking scarce humanitarian supplies.
“It is the latest in a series of deadly incidents affecting civilians trying to access essential aid,” al-Mughayyir said.
The ongoing conflict has caused a dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, displacing nearly all of its over two million residents. Many have sought shelter in schools and designated safe zones, but these locations have repeatedly come under attack.
In the northern towns of Beit Lahia and Jabalia, additional strikes reportedly killed four people. Further south, three individuals lost their lives when strikes hit tents housing displaced families in the coastal area of Al-Mawasi, which had been declared a safe zone by Israel in December 2023 but has faced repeated bombings.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the military campaign against Hamas, stating the aim is to dismantle the group’s military capabilities. Despite reports of new ceasefire proposals from international mediators, hostilities have escalated.
The United Nations has expressed concern over the rising civilian death toll and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Media restrictions and access difficulties have hindered independent verification of casualty figures, but the UN considers the numbers provided by local health authorities to be reliable.
Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023 prompted the intensification of military operations in Gaza. According to official Israeli figures, the initial attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians. Gaza’s health ministry reports that Israel’s retaliatory strikes have since killed at least 57,012 people, also predominantly civilians.
The Israeli military maintains that it is targeting Hamas militants and takes precautions to minimize civilian harm. “We are operating to dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities and follow international law,” a spokesperson said. “We take feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”
