Israel: Military kills 31 Palestinian militants in airstrike on Gaza school
The Israeli military claims to have killed 31 militant Palestinians in an air strike on a school used as a refugee shelter in the Gaza Strip over the weekend. On Monday, the military forces published the names of 12 alleged members of the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad who were killed in the attack. Previously, the military had named 19 other individuals, whom they claimed were militant Palestinians.
However, the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry stated that at least 80 people were killed and dozens more injured in the attack on the facility in the city of Gaza early Saturday morning. The ministry did not specify whether any of the dead were fighters.
Hamas representatives and Palestinian activists denied the Israeli military's statement, claiming that at least two of those identified by Israel as fighters had already been killed in previous attacks. They also stated that others were civilians.
The northern part of the Gaza Strip, including the city of Gaza, is surrounded and largely isolated by Israeli troops. It is currently not possible to independently verify the conflicting reports.
The school in question served as a refugee shelter for Palestinians, as indicated in the Israeli military's statement about the air strike. suburban families with school-aged children reside in the area near the attacked school.
