Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School Kills Over 70, Hospital Director Says

A devastating Israeli airstrike on a school building in Gaza City has resulted in the deaths of over 70 people, according to Fadl Naeem, the director of al-Ahli Hospital.

The school, al-Taba’een, was being used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians and was hit during dawn prayers, witnesses said.

The Israeli military claims that the school was being used as a military facility by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but Hamas denies this.

The IDF spokesperson said that “approximately 20 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, including senior commanders, were operating from the compound struck at the al-Tabaeen school”.

The hospital director described the situation as “catastrophic”, with many bodies badly disfigured, making identification difficult. Doctors are struggling to treat those seriously wounded.

The United Nations has reported that 477 out of 564 school buildings in Gaza have been directly hit or damaged since the conflict began.

The al-Taba’een school was one of them, housing over 1,000 people, including dozens of displaced individuals from Beit Hanoun.

Witnesses described the scene as “horrific”, with body parts and blood covering the walls. Salim Oweis, spokesman for Unicef, called the attack “really outrageous”, highlighting the vulnerability of civilians seeking refuge in schools and mosques.

The Israeli military has targeted several schools in Gaza in recent weeks, claiming they are being used as military facilities by Hamas.

However, Hamas denies this, and the UN has condemned the strikes.

The reported casualty figures from this attack are higher than most previous strikes, but the targeting of school buildings has become a regular feature of IDF operations.

The incident may impact efforts to agree on a ceasefire deal, with Egypt and Jordan criticizing Israel’s actions.