ALBAWABA- An Israeli airstrike struck a U.N. school in Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people, including two children, according to hospital officials. The school, located in the Nuseirat refugee camp, was sheltering displaced Palestinian families when the strike occurred.
Medical sources reported that the victims were taken to Awda Hospital in Nuseirat and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Among the dead were women and children, with at least 18 others wounded.
The Israeli military claimed it was targeting Hamas allegedly planning attacks from within the school, though this has not been independently verified.
The Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces have committed four major attacks resulting in significant casualties over the past 24 hours.
Medical sources reported to Al Jazeera that 32 people have been killed in ongoing Israeli raids on the central and southern Gaza Strip since dawn today.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians are currently sheltering in Gaza’s schools, many of which have been damaged or destroyed by airstrikes.
The al-Jaouni Boys Preparatory School, managed by UNWRA, has been repeatedly hit during the ongoing conflict. Israel allegedly claims that Hamas uses civilian structures, including schools, as cover for military operations, while aid organizations report that over 90% of Gaza’s schools have been severely impacted by the strikes.
