(DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip) — An Israeli strike on a faculty in northern Gaza on Saturday killed at the very least 22 individuals, in accordance with the Gaza Well being Ministry, whereas the Israeli military mentioned it focused a Hamas command heart in what was a faculty.
One other 30 have been wounded within the strike on the varsity within the Zeitoun space of Gaza Metropolis, the ministry mentioned in an announcement. Many of the casualties have been ladies and kids, it mentioned. It wasn’t instantly clear which hospital the lifeless and injured have been taken to.
Video taken by The Related Press confirmed dozens of individuals together with kids digging via the rubble of the constructing — its ceilings caved in, partitions knocked out and a multitude of wires and metallic rods seen. Exterior, others gathered round shrouded our bodies. Some lined their faces as they wept for family killed within the strike.
“A missile, a missile from the aircraft hit us, and one other missile,” mentioned Ferial Deloul, who’s displaced. “We noticed the entire world lined with smoke and stones and we noticed individuals and kids lower up. … What ought to we do? What’s our fault for this to occur to us?”
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The Israeli military mentioned earlier Saturday that it struck Hamas’ “command and management heart, which was embedded inside a compound that beforehand served” as a faculty. It mentioned steps have been taken to restrict harming civilians, together with utilizing exact munitions and aerial surveillance.
Additionally on Saturday, the Gaza Well being Ministry mentioned 5 of its employees have been killed and 5 others wounded by Israeli fireplace that struck the ministry’s warehouses within the southern Musbah space.
Contesting narratives over using faculties and hospitals
Because the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas battle, the Israeli military has struck a number of faculties, full of tens of hundreds of Palestinians pushed from their houses by Israeli offensives and evacuation orders. The battle has left 90% of Palestinians in Gaza displaced, in accordance with figures from the United Nations.
The navy has frequently accused Hamas of working from inside civilian infrastructure in Gaza, together with faculties, U.N. services and hospitals. The contesting narratives over using faculties and hospitals go to the center of the practically yearlong battle.
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Earlier this month, an Israeli strike hit a faculty within the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 14, in accordance with Palestinian medical officers. The Israeli navy mentioned it was concentrating on Hamas militants planning assaults from inside the varsity.
In July, Israeli airstrikes hit a women’ college in Deir al-Balah, killing at the very least 30 individuals sheltering inside. Israel’s navy mentioned it focused a Hamas command heart used to direct assaults in opposition to its troops and retailer “giant portions of weapons.”
The battle started when Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 individuals, principally civilians, in an Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel. They kidnapped one other 250 individuals and are nonetheless holding round 100 hostages. Israel’s marketing campaign in Gaza has killed at the very least 41,000 Palestinians, in accordance with the Gaza Well being Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between fighters and civilians.
Escalating tensions within the area
Tensions soared within the area on Friday after an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb in Lebanon killed dozens of individuals, together with civilians and Ibrahim Akil, who was in command of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Power. Additionally killed was Ahmed Wahbi, one other senior commander within the group’s navy wing.
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The strike got here hours after Hezbollah launched considered one of its most intense bombardments of northern Israel in practically a yr of combating. Israel’s Iron Dome missile protection system intercepted a lot of the rockets.
Israeli navy spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari mentioned Israel had struck greater than 400 rocket launchers in Lebanon on Saturday.
Tens of hundreds of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday night time in Tel Aviv and at a number of smaller protests throughout the nation, demanding a cease-fire and the return of the roughly 100 hostages nonetheless being held in Gaza. The protests, which occur each Saturday night time, attracted an identical crowd in comparison with earlier weeks regardless of the tense safety scenario on Israel’s northern border.
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