An Israeli air strike on Wednesday (September 11, 2024) hit a central Gaza school, with the Hamas-run territory’s civil defence agency reporting 10 killed in the facility turned displacement shelter and the military saying it had targeted militants.
The majority of the Gaza Strip’s population have been displaced at least once by the war, which began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7. Many have sought refuge in school buildings.
Israeli forces have targeted several schools recently, claiming that Palestinian militants were using them and hiding among civilians seeking shelter, allegations that Hamas denies.
The Al-Jawni school in Nuseirat, central Gaza, was hit by the Israeli air strike on Wednesday, according to civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal.
Bassal reported that there were 10 fatalities, including women and children, as well as a number of wounded. The exact toll could not be independently verified by AFP.
The Israeli military stated that the air strike targeted terrorists operating within a Hamas command-and-control center on the school grounds, but did not provide further details on the outcome or the identities of those targeted.
The Hamas government media office stated that around 5,000 displaced individuals were taking shelter at the school, which was previously operated by UNRWA, when it was struck.
The Al-Jawni school has been hit multiple times during the ongoing conflict, including a deadly air strike in July. The total death toll from Israel’s military offensive in Gaza since October 7 has surpassed 41,000, with the majority being women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
The initial Hamas attack on southern Israel that sparked the conflict resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity.
Published – September 11, 2024 10:48 pm IST
