Israeli strike kills 16 at Gaza school, Israeli military says targeting gunmen
At least 16 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed in an Israeli attack on a United Nations-run school.
According to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, 75 other people were injured in the attack on the al-Jaouni school in the Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Witnesses said the strike hit the upper floors of the school, which is believed to be sheltering about 7,000 displaced people.
Many of the injured were taken to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the main medical facility in the area.
The Israeli military said it had taken precautions to “minimize risks to civilians“before targeting the armed men who were using the area”to plan and carry out attacks against soldiers“Hamas has denied the presence of its fighters in the area.
Also on Saturday, the Israeli military released footage of troops believed to be operating in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood, one of the most populated in Gaza City.
The Israeli army returned to the area several months after the IDF declared it had ended its operations in the region. Ground fighting has raged in Shuja’iyya for the past two weeks, forcing tens of thousands to flee.
Israeli army video shows weapons allegedly seized from a warehouse.
Hamas has repeatedly regrouped in hard-hit areas after Israeli troops withdrew, raising questions about the IDF’s ability to destroy the militant group’s military capabilities.
Furthermore, the lack of clean water and personal hygiene materials is leading to a resurgence of infectious diseases among Gaza’s displaced population.
“We suffer from the lack of cleaning products. There is no soap, no detergent, no nothing. I mean, given the price of soap, even if it is available in the Gaza Strip, we cannot buy it. The price of perfumed soap is 25 shekels (6.20 euros). I don’t have 25 shekels to buy it.” said Muhammad Al-Talouli, who was moved from the eastern Al-Bureij camp to central Gaza.
“Epidemics and diseases have spread among people and children. It is really terrible. This is a small area. Diseases spread very quickly“, said Nasser Al-Kurdi, another displaced person.
The World Health Organization reported in February that cases of respiratory infections, diarrhea, scabies and lice, chickenpox and acute jaundice were far above levels of previous years.
Earlier this week, Morocco sent 40 tons of medical aid to Gaza, including equipment for emergency surgery and basic medicines. This aid was received by the Palestinian Red Crescent at the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, which left 1,200 dead and 250 hostages.
More than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its toll.
