At least 30 killed in Israeli airstrike on schools in Gaza, Palestinian Civil Defense says
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense, told CNN that the majority of the bodies recovered are women and children. He said rescue operations are continuing.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency issued a statement claiming responsibility for the strike, asserting that they targeted “terrorists operating inside Hamas command and control centers” that were “embedded” within the schools.
A local journalist told CNN that the buildings, which were adjacent to each other, housed hundreds of displaced people, primarily women and children. Both schools were in a densely populated residential area
The northern wing of Al-Nasr School, which consisted of three floors, was destroyed, the local journalist said, alongside the ground floor of Hassan Salama School.
Videos obtained by CNN from the area show extensive destruction and dead bodies in a schoolyard following the Israeli strike. In the videos, medics and rescuers carry injured children to waiting ambulances.
The IDF did not respond to questions from CNN regarding the number of Hamas members or civilians who were killed in the strike.
CNN has asked the IDF whether the residents of the building were warned before the strikes occurred.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The strike in the Middle East, causing considerable damage, has sparked global concern about the safety of civilians in the region. The world is closely watching the situation, particularly the high number of women and children affected.
