Lagatar24 Desk
Gaza: At least 30 Palestinians lost their lives, and over 100 were injured in an Israeli strike on a school in Deir al Balah, central Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. The Gaza health ministry and the Hamas-run government media office confirmed the death toll and the number of wounded, indicating the school was heavily populated with displaced families.
The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, stating it targeted a Hamas command and control center within the Khadija school compound. According to their statement, the school was being used to launch attacks against Israeli troops and serve as a weapons cache. The military also mentioned that civilians were warned before the strike.
Following the strike, ambulances and on-foot civilians, bloodstained from the attack, rushed to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah. In similar past incidents, Israel’s military has accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure as cover, a claim Hamas denies.
Earlier on Saturday, 14 more Palestinians were reported killed by Israeli attacks in Khan Younis, with their bodies taken to Nasser Medical Complex. The Israeli military urged residents of southern Khan Younis to evacuate temporarily, directing them to a humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to mitigate civilian danger.
In additional strikes, five Palestinians were killed in Al-Bureij refugee camp, and four others in Rafah near the Egyptian border, according to medics.
UN and humanitarian officials have accused Israel of using disproportionate force and failing to provide safe evacuation routes for civilians, allegations Israel denies. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 39,000 Palestinian deaths from Israeli strikes, according to Gaza health authorities. This figure includes both fighters and non-combatants.
The conflict, now in its tenth month following the October 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, has seen significant casualties on both sides. Israeli officials estimate around 14,000 fighters from groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been killed or captured, out of an initial force of over 25,000.
The October 7 raid resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and 250 hostages taken, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
