The Israeli army struck a school near the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, killing at least 30 and injuring more than a hundred Palestinians, according to Hamas’ Health Ministry.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a Telegram that a command and control center of Hamas is located inside the Khadija school.
The IDF added that Hamas used the area as an operational hideout to organize and plan attacks and to store weapons.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the footage showed the victims were civilians and most of them were children. A media organization confirmed a video which shows children among the victims.
The Gaza Civil Defense Service said the school was protecting displaced people.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, 53 people were killed and 189 wounded in IDF shelling in Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis on Saturday morning.
The attack comes as Israel continues its month-long military campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
The Deir al-Balah attack came as the IDF ordered civilians in southern Khan Younis to evacuate from an “adjusted humanitarian area” in the coastal area of al-Mawas on Saturday morning.
The IDF said it took a decision to “forcefully operate” after reporting “significant” rocket fire into Israel from south of Khan Younis and “precise intelligence indicating that Hamas has embedded” infrastructure in the humanitarian area. The Israeli military warned civilians that “remaining in this area has become dangerous.”
The IDF made available to the public maps showing a further reduced humanitarian area in al-Mawas. The army tightened the zone on Monday after ordering the evacuation of part of the humanitarian area before an operation apparently against Palestinian fighters that had gathered there.
Following the evacuation order, Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 70 people had been killed in Israeli attacks around Khan Younis.
Source: BBC News
