Israeli Airstrike Hits School Shelter in Gaza City, Killing 80 People
In one of the deadliest strikes during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, an Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of at least 80 people. Palestinian health authorities confirmed the casualties, while the Israeli military acknowledged the strike, claiming it hit a Hamas command center within the school. However, Hamas denied this claim. The strike also wounded 47 people, according to the Health Ministry. The Tabeen school, like many other schools in Gaza, had been converted into a shelter for people displaced by the war.
The scene at the school was devastating, as captured in video footage. The building’s ground level had walls blown out, and the floor was covered in blood, concrete chunks, twisted metal, and debris. A car, its windows blown out, was buried in rubble. The al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City received 70 bodies and body parts of at least 10 others. Witnesses reported that the strike occurred without warning, during the early morning hours while people were praying at a mosque inside the school. People were praying, washing, and sleeping when the missiles hit. The first missile struck, followed by a second, leaving people as mere body parts. Three missiles struck the school and the mosque, where approximately 6,000 displaced people sought refuge from the war.
The death toll is expected to rise, and many of the casualties were women and children. The United Nations reported that, as of July 6, 477 out of 564 schools in Gaza had been directly hit or damaged during the war. In June, an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians killed 33 people, including women and children. On Thursday, two schools housing displaced people were hit, resulting in at least 15 deaths. Israel has consistently blamed Hamas for civilian deaths in Gaza, accusing the group of using schools and residential areas as bases for attacks.
Israeli intelligence claimed that the Tabeen school compound was being used by around 20 militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, including senior commanders, to plan attacks on Israeli forces. However, a top Hamas official denied these allegations. The Israeli military spokesperson questioned the casualty numbers provided by the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israel claimed that the targeted school was located next to a mosque that served as a shelter for Gaza City residents. However, a cameraman working for The Associated Press reported that the mosque and classrooms were in the same building, with the prayer hall on the ground floor and the school above it. The missile appeared to have penetrated through the classrooms’ floor, exploding in the mosque below.
The strike occurred amidst renewed efforts by American, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators to broker a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. However, Egypt, a key mediator with its border adjacent to Gaza, criticized Israel’s actions, stating that the strike on the school indicated Israel’s lack of intention to reach a cease-fire deal. Jordan also condemned the attack, considering it a violation of international law. Late Friday, two separate airstrikes in central Gaza killed 13 people, including three children and seven women.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has had devastating consequences. According to the enclave’s Health Ministry, the campaign has resulted in the deaths of more than 39,600 Palestinians and wounded over 91,700 others. Additionally, more than 1.9 million people, out of Gaza’s prewar population of 2.3 million, have been displaced from their homes and are now living in overcrowded tent camps along the Gaza coast. The war began after Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting 250 others. The situation remains dire, with innocent civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.
