Dozens of people sheltering inside a school in Gaza City were killed in an airstrike carried out by Israeli forces early on Saturday, sparking international condemnation.
A spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Palestinian civil defence agency put the death toll at 93, while medical and security sources inside Gaza said at least 100 people had been killed in the attack.
The Palestinian militant organization Hamas said the strike hit the al-Tabeen school in Gaza City’s Daraj neighbourhood during morning prayers, resulting in the high number of casualties.
School operations in the territory have been suspended since the beginning of the conflict, with most school buildings now serving as emergency shelters for displaced people.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not comment on the number of possible casualties but said in a statement on Telegram that the strike had targeted “a Hamas command and control centre” which “served as a hideout for Hamas terrorists and commanders.”
Up to 20 Hamas terrorists were killed in the strike, the IDF said, adding that a number of attacks against Israel were “planned and advanced” from the location.
“Numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians” in Saturday’s operation, the IDF added.
Israel has long accused Hamas of hiding behind Gaza’s civilian population.
In its statement, the IDF said Hamas “systematically violates international law and operates from within civilian shelters, brutally exploiting the civilian population and institutions as human shields for their terror activities.”
Eyewitness report horrific scenes
It was not possible to independently verify claims from either side.
However, eyewitnesses reported horrific scenes in the aftermath of the strike.
Women and children were said to be performing morning prayers on the upper floor of the school in Gaza City.
A man who rushed to the scene after the strike said he was in tears as the smell of burnt flesh filled the air, with body parts scattered around.
A woman who survived the attack on the upper floor said she had lost 10 relatives, including her father, two sons and her brothers.
Egypt, Hezbollah denounce Israel
Egypt strongly condemned Saturday’s attack, saying the strike showed an “unprecedented disregard for international law.”
The Foreign Ministry in Cairo said the attack was a “continuation of crimes on a large scale” in which “huge numbers of unarmed civilians” were killed.
Egypt has been involved in months-long efforts alongside the United States and Qatar to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to end the Gaza war.
The latest strike, Cairo said, was “clear proof” that there is no will on the Israeli side to end the conflict.
The Lebanese Hezbollah militia similarly accused Israel of “lies and deception,” adding that its “real choice is to kill and carry out massacres.”
The militia said Palestinians have been subjected to the “most heinous massacre for more than 10 months,” since the conflict in Gaza began.
International organizations condemn attack
International organizations were also quick to respond to Saturday’s attack, with the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, saying he was “horrified”.
“At least 10 schools were targeted in the last weeks. There’s no justification for these massacres,” he wrote on X.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said the incident represented “another day of horror” in Gaza.
“The unbearable cannot become the norm,” he added.
The French Foreign Ministry also criticized Israel, saying it condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms” in a post on X.
Death toll approaches 40,000
Israel has come under international criticism given the high number of civilian casualties and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
More than 39,600 people have died in Israel’s air and ground offensive in the territory, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Around 85% of the population of the Gaza Strip has been forced to leave their homes as a result of the conflict, which was triggered by an unprecedented massacre in which more than 1,200 people in Israel were killed by Hamas and other militant groups on October 7, while 250 hostages were taken to the Gaza Strip.
Source Agencies
