Gaza’s civil defense agency said an Israeli attack on a school being used as a shelter resulted in the deaths of at least 12 people on Tuesday (20). The Israeli army, in turn, said the target was a Hamas command center.
“Our teams recovered 12 bodies from the Mustafa Hafiz school, which was shelled by Israeli occupation forces west of Gaza City,” said Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the agency.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering at the school, Bassal said, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. The Israeli military justified the attack by saying the school housed a Hamas command and control center.
“Hamas militants used the command and control center to plan and execute attacks against IDF (Israel Defense Forces) troops and the State of Israel,” the Israeli forces said in a statement.
According to the military, the attack was precisely targeted against the terrorists who were operating inside the school.
Bassal had previously said seven people were killed and 15 injured in the attack, which targeted the second floor of the school building. The final death toll could not yet be independently verified.
The school was completely destroyed, and dozens of Palestinian men and women, many holding children, were seen fleeing the scene after the attack.
In recent weeks, the Israeli army has carried out attacks on several schools in Gaza, especially in Gaza City, accusing them of housing Hamas command centers, something the Islamist group denies.
Earlier this month, the military attacked the Al-Tabieen School in Gaza City. According to the civil defense agency, 93 Palestinians were killed in the attack, while the military claims 31 militants were killed.
Tens of thousands of displaced people have sought shelter in schools since the war between Israel and Gaza began on October 7, following an attack by Palestinian militants on southern Israel. That attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to official Israeli figures. In addition, 251 people were captured, of whom 105 are still being held captive in Gaza, including 34 who the military says are already dead.
Israel’s military offensive in retaliation against Hamas has killed at least 40,173 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and militant deaths. The majority of victims in Gaza are women and children, the UN human rights office has reported.
Via News Agencies
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2024/08/20/gaza-12-palestinos-sao-mortos-em-ataque-israelense-a-abrigo-escolar/
