Officials report that an Israeli strike on a school in Gaza, used as a shelter by displaced Palestinians, has killed at least 22 people, including 15 children.
According to the Civil Defence Agency in Gaza, the artillery attack targeted al-Mufti School in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Sunday, resulting in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries, including entire families.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) stated that they are investigating these claims.
Earlier, reports emerged of five children being killed by a drone strike while playing on a street corner in northern Gaza.
A spokesperson from Gaza’s civil defense agency confirmed that over 80 people were injured in the school attack, where hundreds had sought refuge.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, indicated that the school had also been prepared as a site for administering polio vaccines, part of a larger campaign due to a recent polio case in central Gaza.
In another incident, a reported Israeli strike on al-Aqsa Hospital left four dead and many injured.
Israel claimed this strike was aimed at a command and control center used by militants.
Fighting has concentrated in northern Gaza, where intense operations have been underway for over a week, resulting in hundreds of reported casualties.
Residents of several northern communities have been cut off from Gaza City, with tanks spotted on the city’s outskirts.
With Gaza’s healthcare system severely strained, the World Health Organization recently managed to resupply two hospitals with the help of the Red Cross, following days of logistical delays.
The ongoing conflict began on October 7 of last year when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on northern Israel, resulting in around 1,200 Israeli deaths and over 200 hostages taken.
Since then, Gaza’s health ministry, run by Hamas, estimates that over 42,000 lives have been lost, with thousands injured and about 1.9 million residents displaced due to the violence.
