An Israeli airstrike on a school compound in Gaza City housing displaced Palestinian families has resulted in the deaths of around 100 people, according to Gaza’s Civil Emergency Service. The attack occurred early Saturday morning while occupants were performing dawn prayers, the service reported.
Video footage from the scene revealed body parts scattered among debris, burnt mattresses, and a child’s doll. The site, known as the Tabeen school complex, was sheltering around 350 families displaced by ongoing conflict. The upper floor housed families while the lower floor served as a mosque.
Palestinian civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal stated that there are more than 93 confirmed fatalities, including 11 children and six women, with unidentified remains also reported.
The Israeli military, however, claimed that the facility served as a military site for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, asserting that the casualty figures were exaggerated. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani from the IDF maintained that the strike used precise munitions and that the casualties reported did not align with their information.
“Peaceful people — women, children, and youths — were performing the Fajr prayer as usual when suddenly a missile hit them,” said Abu Wassim, who lives nearby and came to survey the scene.
“They were reduced to remains. Children were torn apart, and women were burned. What can we say or do? What is in our power?”
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, expressed horror at the images from the school. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, urged the US to end its support for Israel, criticizing it for contributing to civilian deaths.
Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have all condemned the strike, calling it a “horrific massacre.” Hamas described the attack as a serious escalation and a crime, stating that the casualties included no combatants.
The strike has intensified calls for a ceasefire and led to renewed criticism of US military aid to Israel. US rights advocates and Palestinian officials have urged President Joe Biden to halt arms transfers to Israel, citing the role of US-made weapons in the ongoing conflict. The attack comes amid a new push for ceasefire talks involving Egypt, the US, and Qatar, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to continue operations until Hamas no longer poses a threat.
The US Department of State announced an additional $3.5 billion in military aid to Israel, drawing criticism from those who argue that such support fuels the conflict. Former Israeli adviser Daniel Levy criticized the Biden administration for its continued financial support, which he claimed demonstrates both ideological alignment and weakness.
The situation remains dire, with ongoing conflict and calls for international intervention to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
