An Israeli air strike on a UN school in central Gaza has sparked outrage and condemnation as local officials report at least 27 people killed in the attack. The school, packed with hundreds of displaced people in the Nuseirat refugee camp, was targeted by Israeli warplanes, according to local journalists who witnessed the strike.
Israel’s military claims the strike was a “precise” attack on a Hamas compound embedded within the school, but the Hamas media office has called it a “horrific massacre.” Ambulances and rescue teams have been working tirelessly to transport the wounded and deceased to nearby hospitals, as footage on social media shows the devastation left behind.
One woman, injured in the attack, was captured on video screaming, “Enough war! They killed our children while they were sleeping.” The director of the Hamas media office, Ismail al-Thawabta, rejected Israel’s claims that the school was hiding a Hamas command post, calling it a “brutal crime” against displaced civilians.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the strike targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad “terrorists” involved in a previous attack on southern Israel. However, the death toll in Gaza continues to rise, with at least 36,580 people killed since the conflict began. The IDF insists it took precautions to minimize harm to civilians before launching the air strike.
Meanwhile, reports from residents and medical organizations paint a grim picture of the situation in central Gaza, with intense bombardment and a rising number of casualties. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) described the scene at al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah as “apocalyptic,” with at least 70 bodies – mostly women and children – brought in since Tuesday.
As the violence escalates in Gaza, calls for an immediate ceasefire and international intervention to protect civilians grow louder. The tragic loss of life in the UN school attack serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict in the region.
