Israel strikes school-turned shelter in GazaIsrael strikes school-turned shelter in Gaza
The school was allegedly struck by three missiles, leaving an estimated 6,000 displaced individuals inside.
According to Palestinian health officials, the number of casualties resulting from an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City has tragically risen to 80.
As per a spokesperson from the Civil Defence Agency, which operates under the Hamas-run government, approximately 6,000 displaced individuals were seeking refuge in Tabeen School when it was struck by three missiles.
The Israeli army claimed to have targeted a “Hamas control centre,” but failed to provide any evidence to support their claim. Hamas refuted any claims of being present at the school.
Egypt’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the strike, expressing their criticism of Israel for the loss of civilian lives in Gaza. They also expressed concern over the ongoing war in the besieged enclave and the apparent lack of political will to bring it to an end.
As per a witness, the strikes took place in the early morning when people had gathered in a mosque situated within the school for prayers.
As per Abu Anas, who was part of the rescue operations, there were people engaged in prayer, others performing ablutions, and some upstairs resting, including vulnerable individuals like children, women, and the elderly.
The unexpected impact of the missile caught them off guard. The first missile was followed by the second one. We obtained them as body parts.
The Gaza government, run by Hamas, has reported a higher number of over 100 casualties, while Palestinian health authorities estimate that 80 people have tragically lost their lives.
An Israeli military spokesperson stated that somewhere in the neighbourhood of twenty Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were operating out of the Gaza school that was the target of their attack.
The IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) information, the precise munitions used, and the accuracy of the strike, according to Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, “do not align” with the casualty counts provided by the Hamas-run media office.
The Israelis claim that they employed precision explosives to hit their target, which was a structure that was part of a complex that included a mosque and a school in Gaza City.
The images that we have seen support this. It seems as though it was a straightforward success.
They claim that they took measures to reduce the amount of harm caused to civilians, including conducting aerial surveillance and gathering intelligence prior to the operation.
If such is the case, then those actions appear to have been unsuccessful. The footage that was taken from inside the building is horrifying; it shows a scene of carnage that includes dozens of victims and portions of bodies.
We have tallied twenty victims from the images, while Palestinians claim that as many as one hundred perished.
Due to the fact that Earlyrise and all other news companies are prohibited from sending journalists into Gaza, it is difficult to verify the information that has been presented here.
Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assert that in the past, the Israeli media would have reacted with introspection in response to the perceived loss of a large number of civilians as a result of a military operation in Gaza.
They are now occurring with such high frequency that we simply move from one occurrence to the next. It is estimated that around 40,000 Palestinians have lost their lives as a result of this heinous battle.
The diplomatic efforts to negotiate a truce once more are picking up steam, but the occurrence of this kind of tragedy does not enhance the odds of diplomacy being successful.
The media office of the Gaza government, which is managed by Hamas, issued the following statement: “The Israeli strikes targeted the displaced people while they were performing Fajr prayers, which led to a rapid increase in the number of persons who were killed.”
One of the command and control centres that acted as a refuge for Hamas terrorists and leaders was reportedly destroyed by Israeli air forces, according to the Israeli army.
It added: “The Israeli Air Force precisely struck Hamas terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control centre embedded in the Al-Taba’een school and located adjacent to a mosque in Daraj Tuffah, which serves as a shelter for Gaza City residents.”
“Prior to the strike, many measures were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise weapons, reconnaissance flights, and intelligence information.”
According to Hamas, the strike constituted a heinous crime and a significant escalation of the situation. Israel asserts that the militant group infiltrates the civilian population of Gaza, conducting its operations from within schools, hospitals, and designated humanitarian zones. Hamas, on the other hand, denies this assertion.
The Israeli government has been at war with Hamas in Gaza ever since the terrorist organisation launched an offensive on October 7th, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people in southern Israel and the kidnapping of 250 more.
According to data provided by health officials in the enclave, Israel has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza since that time. These sources also claim that thousands more Palestinians are believed to be dead under the debris.
As of July 6, the United Nations reported that 477 out of 564 schools in Gaza have been adversely affected or damaged as a direct result of the conflict.
In light of the mounting concerns about the possibility of a more extensive battle involving Iran and its allies Hezbollah in Lebanon, Egypt, the United States of America, and Qatar have set a fresh round of ceasefire negotiations for Thursday.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has stated that he will not put an end to the conflict until Hamas is no longer a threat to Israeli citizens. Netanyahu has also stated that a delegation will be sent to the discussions that will take place on August 15th.
Hamas officials told Reuters that the organisation was looking into the fresh invitation for negotiations, but they did not provide any further details.