Israeli strike in Gaza City kills 22; military says Hamas targeted

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — 

An Israeli onslaught connected a schoolhouse successful bluish Gaza connected Saturday killed astatine slightest 22 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, portion the Israeli service said that it targeted a Hamas bid halfway successful what utilized to beryllium a school.

Another 30 were wounded successful the onslaught connected the schoolhouse successful the Zeitoun country of Gaza City, the ministry said successful a statement. Most of the casualties were women and children, it said. It wasn't instantly wide to which infirmary the dormant and injured were taken.

Dozens of people, including children, dug done the rubble of the gathering — its ceilings caved in, walls knocked retired and a messiness of wires and metallic rods visible. Outside, others gathered astir shrouded bodies. Some covered their faces arsenic they wept for relatives killed successful the strike.

"A missile, a rocket from the level deed us, and different missile," said Ferial Deloul, who is displaced. "We saw the full satellite covered with fume and stones and we saw radical and children chopped up. … What should we do? What is our responsibility for this to hap to us?"

The Israeli service said earlier Saturday that it struck Hamas' "command and power center, which was embedded wrong a compound that antecedently served" arsenic a school. It said steps were taken to bounds harming civilians, including the usage of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

5 Gaza ministry workers killed, it says

Also connected Saturday, the Gaza Health Ministry said 5 of its workers were killed and 5 others wounded by Israeli occurrence that struck the ministry's warehouses successful the confederate Musbah area.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli service has struck respective schools packed with tens of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes by Israeli offensives and evacuation orders. The struggle has near 90% of Palestinians successful Gaza displaced, according to figures from the United Nations.

The subject has accused Hamas of operating from wrong civilian infrastructure successful Gaza, including schools, U.N. facilities and hospitals.

Hamas has been designated a panic radical by the U.S., U.K., EU and others.

Israel targets Hamas, strikes school

The contesting narratives implicit the usage of schools and hospitals spell to the bosom of the astir yearlong conflict.

Earlier this month, an Israeli onslaught deed a schoolhouse successful the Nuseirat exile camp, sidesplitting 14, according to Palestinian aesculapian officials. The Israeli subject said that it was targeting Hamas militants readying attacks from wrong the school.

In July, Israeli airstrikes deed a girls' schoolhouse successful Deir al-Balah, sidesplitting astatine slightest 30 radical sheltering inside. Israel's subject said that it targeted a Hamas bid halfway utilized to nonstop attacks against its troops and store "large quantities of weapons."

The warfare began erstwhile Hamas-led fighters killed astir 1,200 people, mostly civilians, successful an October 7, 2023, panic onslaught connected confederate Israel. They abducted different 250 radical and are inactive holding astir 100 hostages. Israel's run successful Gaza has killed astatine slightest 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate betwixt fighters and civilians. Israel has not precocious estimated the decease toll but says that astir of the dormant are combatants.