An Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza killed 10 people on Wednesday, with Israel claiming it targeted militants operating from within the complex.
Since a ceasefire broke down in March, Israeli attacks have killed over 1,600 Palestinians, many of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced as Israel seized what it calls a buffer zone of Gaza’s land, and it has imposed a blockade on all goods, including fuel and electricity, since early March.
Medics reported that the airstrike on Yaffa School in Gaza City’s Tuffah area caused fires in tents and classrooms. The Israeli military stated that Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group were operating within the school and that it took precautions to reduce civilian harm before launching the attack.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation, with tents and classrooms ablaze, and people frantically searching for their belongings.
On the same day, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain jointly urged Israel to adhere to international law and allow unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza. They also called for a ceasefire restoration and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein rejected the statement, asserting that Gaza had no aid shortage, despite claims from doctors and civilians of dwindling medical supplies and food.
Meanwhile, at least 36 people were reported killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Wednesday. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that an Israeli missile hit Durra Children’s Hospital, damaging its intensive care unit and solar power system, though no one was killed.
Gaza’s healthcare system is nearing collapse due to Israel’s blockade, which it says aims to pressure Hamas militants to release 59 Israeli hostages. Hamas has stated it will release the hostages only as part of a peace deal to end the war, rejecting demands to lay down its arms.
Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 people, more than 51,000 Palestinians have died in the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
