Civilian deaths have been reported as the Israeli military says it is targeting Hamas positions.
Dozens of Palestinians have reportedly been killed as Israel steps up its military operations in Gaza.
Gaza’s health ministry reported Wednesday that at least 51 people had been killed in the enclave over the previous 24 hours, as the Israeli military intensified its attacks alongside its ongoing air and ground offensive in Lebanon.
Israeli warplanes attacked Gaza City overnight, hitting the Muscat school in the Tuffah neighborhood and the Al-Amal orphanage west of the capital. At least nine displaced people sheltering at these sites were killed, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
The Israeli army, for its part, announced an attack against the “Brig High School” in central Gaza. The exact location of the target was not immediately clear and it was unclear at the time of reporting whether there had been any fatalities.
In separate statements, the military said the two schools and the orphanage were used as Hamas “command and control complexes” to plan and carry out operations.
Israel has struck dozens of schools, many of which were used to house displaced people, in Gaza throughout its war in the enclave, saying they were being used by the armed group.
In southern Gaza, air attacks accompanied the arrival of tanks in three neighborhoods of Khan Younis. At least 32 people were killed and dozens injured, the city’s European Hospital said, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Hospital records show that seven women and 12 children, as young as 22 months old, were among those killed, the AP said.
Dr. Saleh al-Hams, head of the nursing department, said the dead and injured were transported to European and Nasser hospitals, both in Khan Younis, from 3 a.m. (0000 GMT). He said he expected the death toll to rise.
Recurrence
Israel has restarted its military operations in Gaza, as well as aggressive raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank, in recent days. The resurgence of violence in the Palestinian territory comes as world attention is drawn to Israel’s military assault on Lebanon.
The ongoing attacks in Gaza have also been overshadowed by growing fears of a wider regional conflict after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel on Tuesday.
Tehran called the attack revenge for the latter’s deadly attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the assassination of senior Hamas and Hezbollah officials.
These Iran-linked armed groups have been engaged in low-intensity hostilities with Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war.
The world is now calling for calm as Israel and Iran launch new threats against each other. Meanwhile, violence persists in Gaza.
Nearly a year of relentless Israeli attacks on the enclave have killed more than 41,500 people and injured nearly 100,000, with thousands more still missing beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings.
