At least 27 individuals have lost their lives, and numerous others have been injured following an Israeli strike on a UN school sheltering displaced people in al-Nuseirat, located in the central Gaza Strip, according to the media office of the Hamas-run Gaza government.
The office condemned the Israeli army, describing the incident as a “horrific massacre … that shames humanity.”
As of now, the health ministry has not confirmed the death toll, and verification is still pending.
In the early hours of Thursday, footage shared by Palestinian journalists on X showed rows of bodies at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, along with injured children receiving treatment on the floor.
The Israeli military acknowledged on X that it had targeted the UN school in al-Nuseirat, claiming it was occupied by Hamas terrorists involved in the October 7 attack on Israel.
They stated that these “terrorists” who were planning imminent attacks had been “eliminated” and emphasized that “many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harm to those not involved.”
The attack on the UN school, operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), followed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announcement on Wednesday of a new operation against Hamas in central Gaza.
Palestinian medics reported that airstrikes had killed dozens.
Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) reported that since Tuesday, at least 70 deceased and over 300 injured, mostly women and children, had been brought to al-Aqsa hospital following “heavy Israeli strikes” in central Gaza.
Karin Huster, an MSF medical adviser in Gaza, described the scene as “overwhelming,” noting, “There are people lying everywhere on the floor, outside … bodies were being brought in plastic bags.”
An Israeli military statement regarding the new operation mentioned: “The forces of the 98th Division began a precise campaign in the areas of East Bureij and East Deir al-Balah, above and below ground at the same time.”
Residents reported that Israeli forces had deployed tanks into Bureij, and both planes and tanks targeted the surrounding settlements of al-Maghazi and al-Nuseirat, as well as Deir al-Balah city.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed to have engaged in gun battles with Israeli forces across the territory, utilizing anti-tank rockets and shells.
Abu Mohammed Abu Saif, whose two children were among the casualties brought to al-Aqsa hospital, lamented, “This is not war, it is destruction that words are unable to express.”
He shared that his children and their mother, who was unable to evacuate with others in the neighborhood, had been killed.
Al-Aqsa hospital, one of the last remaining functional hospitals in Gaza, reported a failure of an electrical generator earlier in the night, complicating patient treatment.
Israel reiterated its stance on Wednesday, refusing to cease the Gaza offensive for the resumption of hostage-release negotiations with Hamas.
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant was quoted by Israeli media as saying, “Any negotiations with Hamas would be conducted only under fire.”
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh stated that the group would demand a permanent end to the war in Gaza and an Israeli withdrawal as part of a ceasefire plan.
This statement seemingly undermined a truce proposal recently suggested by US President Joe Biden.
According to health officials in Gaza, Israel’s military actions have resulted in over 36,000 fatalities, with thousands more potentially buried under the rubble.
The conflict was ignited by an unprecedented Hamas attack in southern Israel in October of the previous year, which killed approximately 1,200 people.
Two new food security reports released on Wednesday indicated that many Palestinians in Gaza had succumbed to extreme hunger over several months, causing permanent damage to children through malnutrition even before famine is officially declared.
The US-based Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) suggested that famine likely began in northern Gaza in April.
Additionally, two UN organizations projected that over 1 million people could face death and starvation by mid-July.
Israel has severely restricted the entry of aid and fuel into Gaza and has cut off most of the water supply.
In related developments, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened an “extremely powerful” response to recent escalations by Hezbollah from Lebanon, which have caused significant fires in northern Israel.
