Israeli forces attacked a faculty close to the central Gaza metropolis of Deir al-Balah, killing not less than 30 Palestinians and wounding greater than 100, in accordance with the Hamas-run well being ministry.
The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned on Telegram that the Hamas command and management heart is situated on the Khadija faculty.
The IDF added that Hamas makes use of the compound as a hideout to direct and plan assaults and to retailer weapons.
Gaza’s well being ministry mentioned the video confirmed the victims have been civilians, most of them kids. The BBC confirmed a video displaying kids among the many injured.
U.S. Environmental Safety CompanyGaza’s civil protection mentioned colleges have been housing displaced folks. Hamas condemned the assault in a press release on Telegram, saying “displaced, sick and wounded, principally girls and youngsters” have been killed.
Verified video from the scene confirmed chaos, with folks operating round a rubble-covered compound. Males held two blood-stained kids of their arms, a girl hugged one other little one, and a bunch carried an injured man on a stretcher. A physique lay on the bottom, coated with a blanket.
The IDF mentioned it had taken steps to scale back the chance to civilians earlier than the assault “together with the usage of acceptable munitions, aerial surveillance and extra intelligence”.
Gaza’s well being ministry mentioned 53 folks had been killed and 189 injured in IDF bombings in Deir al-Balah and the southern metropolis of Khan Younis since Saturday morning.
The assault comes as Israel continues a months-long army operation in Gaza that has killed greater than 39,000 Palestinians, in accordance with Gaza’s well being ministry.
The battle started when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 folks and taking 251 hostages.
The assault in Deir al-Balah got here because the IDF ordered civilians within the southern space of Khan Yunis on Saturday morning to evacuate to an “adjusted humanitarian zone” within the coastal district of Mawasi, in accordance with experiences.
The Israel Protection Forces mentioned it was about to “drive operations” after experiences of a “massive quantity” of rockets fired into Israel from southern Khan Younis and “correct intelligence indicating that Hamas has embedded” infrastructure in humanitarian areas. The Israeli army warned civilians that “it has change into harmful to stay within the space”.
Maps launched by the Israel Protection Forces present that the humanitarian zone in Mawasi has shrunk additional. On Monday, the army ordered the evacuation of a part of the humanitarian zone, shrinking the world earlier than taking motion towards Palestinian fighters who had apparently regrouped there.
After the evacuation order was issued, Gaza’s Ministry of Well being explain Israeli assaults round Khan Yunis killed not less than 70 folks.
