Over 100 killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza school

Hamas has reported that over 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school that was housing displaced people. The attack occurred during dawn prayers, according to Hamas’s media office, which added that medics had yet to reach all the bodies.

Gaza health authorities have not provided immediate information, while the Israeli military claimed the airstrike targeted a Hamas command and control center. The military asserted that it took measures to minimize civilian casualties, including using precise munitions and aerial surveillance, but has not commented on the casualty figures reported from Gaza.

Hamas has denounced the strike as a severe escalation and a horrific crime, while Israel contends that Hamas operates within civilian areas, including schools and hospitals, which Hamas denies.

In response to the escalating violence, Egypt announced in May its intention to support South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, condemning the attacks on civilians and destruction of infrastructure.

The ongoing conflict between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas, which began with a surprise raid by Hamas on October 7, has lasted over eight months and resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel.