At least 31 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 others wounded on Thursday when an Israeli airstrike hit a school sheltering displaced persons in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, according to the Civil Defense in Gaza, reported Xinhua.
Mahmoud Basal, a Civil Defense spokesman, told Xinhua that rescue teams recovered the bodies of 31 victims, including 18 children and an elderly woman, from the rubble of Dar Al-Arqam school, which had been struck by multiple Israeli missiles.
"The situation is catastrophic. There are remains of children everywhere, and dozens of people are still trapped under the debris," Basal said, adding that emergency workers face severe shortages of equipment and resources.
He noted that most of the victims were women and children who had sought refuge at the school after fleeing airstrikes on their homes in other parts of Gaza.
According to Basal, six individuals remain missing, including a pregnant woman expecting twins, her husband, and their children.
"The explosion was massive. Many people were killed instantly, and some others are still buried under the rubble," Mohammed Alaa, a local resident, told Xinhua.
Following the strike, Israeli warplanes also targeted two nearby schools, Shaaban al-Rayes and Fahd Al-Sabah. While there were no immediate reports of casualties, rescue teams continued efforts to locate survivors and retrieve bodies.
Early in the morning, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, also in the eastern part of Gaza City, killing at least 20, said the Gaza-based health authorities.
"The entire area is under attack. People are afraid to leave their homes, and the situation is becoming unbearable," Ahmed Saeed, a resident of Shuja'iyya, told Xinhua.
Hamas denounced the attack on the school-turned shelter as part of "a systematic policy to destroy Gaza and displace its residents."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed in a statement that it struck prominent militants in a Hamas command and control center in the area of Gaza City.
The center had been used by the militants to plan and execute attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops, according to the statement.
Also on Thursday, Israel's military spokesman Effie Defrin said the army had entered "a new stage" in its offensive in Gaza, adding that it had carried out more than 600 attacks on the enclave since resuming operations on March 18.
The renewed Israeli attacks have so far killed over 1,160 Palestinians, according to the Gaza-based health authorities.
Meanwhile, Gaza's healthcare system faces near-total collapse due to dwindling resources.
"The number of wounded is rising rapidly, and we are running out of essential medical supplies. Many patients are dying due to the lack of proper treatment," said Fadel Naim, director of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, urging the opening of border crossings to facilitate medical aid delivery and civilian evacuations.
The Gaza-based health authorities also reported a severe shortage of medicines, electricity, and safe shelters for patients.
The United Nations and international organizations have warned of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where thousands of civilians remain trapped amid the ongoing violence.
Human rights groups have also urged an independent investigation into the Israeli airstrikes and their impact on civilians.
"We are struggling to provide assistance to those in need, but the situation is dire. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is reaching a breaking point," Adnan Abu Hasna, media advisor of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, told Xinhua.
At least 97 Palestinians were killed and 138 others wounded by Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, Gaza-based health authorities said on Thursday.
A number of victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, unable to be reached by ambulances and civil defense crews, the health authorities said in a press statement.
- Israeli
- Genocide
- Gaza
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
