Gaza’s civil defense agency reported Wednesday that Israeli airstrikes on a school sheltering displaced individuals in the Bureij refugee camp killed 31 people and injured dozens more. The strike targeted a location where many displaced Palestinians had sought refuge amid ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza civil defense spokesperson Ahmad Radwan told AFP that the school, housing displaced persons, was struck by Israeli forces. The toll included both fatalities and injuries, with rescue operations underway.
The Israeli military, in response, claimed the strike targeted a “Hamas command and control center” in central Gaza, which was allegedly used to store weapons.
The attack comes amid heightened international criticism of Israel’s plans to escalate its offensive in Gaza. On Tuesday, Israel’s far-right finance minister made controversial remarks calling for the complete destruction of the Palestinian territory.
Nearly the entire population of Gaza, numbering around 2.4 million people, has been displaced at some point during the ongoing conflict, which was ignited by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel.
In a separate development, Hamas dismissed ceasefire discussions with Israel as futile, accusing Israel of waging a “hunger war” on Gaza.
Israel resumed its offensive on Gaza in March after a two-month ceasefire, which allowed a temporary surge in humanitarian aid and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
