Numerous individuals lose their lives in Israel's strike on a Gaza school.
Israel alleges that Hamas utilizes civilian establishments as their base. There are even suspicions about a school in the Gaza Strip. Reports from Palestine claim that 27 individuals lost their lives in an air attack.
As Israel's northern border security remains uncertain, the Israeli military asserts that it carried out an airstrike at a Hamas location within a school in Gaza. This attack reportedly eliminated some Hamas militants planning attacks on Israeli troops. The army's allegation was not initially verified. According to initial Palestinian news accounts, the death toll reached at least 27 from the airstrike, whilst other sources mentioned 30 fatalities.
The alleged incident occurred at Nuseirat in the center of Gaza Strip, which houses a refugee camp dating back to the 1948 Israeli War of Independence or Palestinian War. At least 30 individuals were brought to the Al-Aksa Martyrs Hospital in neighboring Deir al-Balah, as per hospital records. Furthermore, six more corpses were brought in from another airstrike on a house. A reporter from AP verified these numbers.
The Israeli military asserts that the alleged position in the UNRWA-managed school in Nuseirat was utilized by Hamas and the terrorist organization, Islamic Jihad. These groups supposedly operated command centers and weapons depots there. However, Hamas denies these accusations. Both these groups were implicated in the October 7 massacre in Israel last year. Since the onset of the war, schools have often served as shelters for the organization, hoping that Israel would typically avoid targeting UN buildings. Israel consistently accuses Hamas of operating from civilian institutions and posing a danger to civilians or intentionally utilizing them as shields.
The UNRWA faced heavy criticism earlier this year when Israel accused twelve of its employees of collaborating with the radical Islamic Hamas during the October 7, 2023 incident. Consequently, several donor nations suspended or paused their financial assistance. Some of them have since resumed their donations.
Before the school attack, Israel was subjected to a drone strike initiated by the Shiite Hezbollah militia of Lebanon. Eleven people were wounded, including one with severe injuries, three with moderate injuries, and seven with light injuries, as confirmed by the head of the rescue organization Magen David Adom through Channel 12. The Iran-backed Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack. In retaliation, the Israeli military targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.
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- Israel's accusations against Hamas for using civilian establishments as bases, including schools in the Gaza Strip, have been a point of contention, with the United Nations also expressing concern.
- Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Prime Minister of Israel, has consistently criticized Islamist groups like Hamas and Islamist terrorists for utilizing civilians as shields in times of conflict.
- Hezbollah, an Islamist group based in Lebanon, claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Israel, causing eleven injuries, leading to retaliatory strikes from the Israeli military on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
- The Israeli war in the Gaza Strip has once again brought attention to the complex relationship between Islamism, Hamas, and the targeting of civilians, leading to international condemnation and calls for peace.
- Some Islamist groups, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have been accused of operating command centers and weapons depots within schools, raising concerns about the safety of civilians during conflicts in the region.
