An Israeli airstrike struck a United Nations school complex in the central Gaza Strip, which was being used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians, resulting in the deaths of dozens of individuals, according to officials on Thursday.
Israel’s military claimed that the attack was aimed at Hamas operatives, while Palestinian officials stated that it had caused civilian casualties.
The bodies of over 40 individuals killed in the airstrike were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, as reported by hospital spokesperson Khalil Daqran on Thursday morning. Daqran mentioned that among the victims were women, children, and elderly individuals, but did not provide an exact number.
Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner stated that he was not aware of any civilian casualties resulting from the strike, emphasizing that the attack was targeted at terrorists. He mentioned, “We conducted a precise strike against the terrorists where they were.”
Daqran reported that the hospital’s resources were severely strained due to the high number of casualties from the recent Israeli offensive in central Gaza, with at least 140 Palestinians killed and hundreds wounded.
The Israeli military explained that the fighter jets had targeted three classrooms in the school building, where 20 to 30 Palestinian militants associated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were located. The military stated that the strike had been delayed twice to minimize civilian casualties.
Lerner claimed that the militants were effectively functioning under the U.N. flag as a means to avoid being targeted by Israeli forces. He stated that this incident marked the fifth occurrence of such actions within the past month. Lerner further mentioned that the militants had utilized the compound to strategize attacks against Israeli forces, although he did not provide specific instances.
The targeted compound, located in the central Gaza city of Nuseirat, had been under the operation of UNRWA, the primary United Nations organization that provides assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. Philippe Lazzarini, the director of UNRWA, expressed his shock at Israel’s allegation that Hamas had utilized the school’s premises for military purposes. However, he clarified that the agency was unable to verify this claim.
