The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has reported that six of its employees were killed in an Israeli airstrike on one of its schools in central Gaza.
This incident, which took place at al-Jaouni school in the Nuseirat refugee camp, marks the highest death toll among UNRWA staff in a single event since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October.
According to the Hamas-run government media office, the airstrike resulted in 18 deaths.
The school, currently serving as a shelter for thousands of displaced Palestinians, has been struck multiple times over the past 11 months.
In July, a similar attack killed 16 people, which the Israeli military attributed to targeting structures used by Hamas fighters.
The Israeli military defended the strike, stating it was aimed at terrorists operating from within the school.
They emphasized that efforts were made to minimize civilian casualties.
Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) described the operation as a precise strike on a Hamas command and control center located inside the school, and claimed that numerous precautions were taken to protect civilians.
UNRWA condemned the attack, highlighting that schools and civilian infrastructure should be protected and are not legitimate targets.
The agency also called on all parties to the conflict to avoid using schools for military purposes.
Video footage from the aftermath showed extensive damage to the school and ambulances transporting the injured to local hospitals.
In related news, the IDF announced that two Israeli soldiers were killed and eight others injured in a helicopter crash in southern Gaza.
The helicopter was on a mission to evacuate a critically injured soldier when the crash occurred.
Initial investigations suggest that the crash was not caused by enemy fire, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
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