August 10th 2024.
In a tragic turn of events, a school that had been converted into a shelter for displaced people in Gaza City was struck by an Israeli airstrike. Palestinian health authorities reported that at least 80 people were killed in the attack, making it one of the deadliest strikes in the ongoing 10-month war between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli military acknowledged the strike on Saturday morning, claiming that it had targeted a Hamas command center within the school. However, Hamas denied these allegations. The strike also injured 47 people, according to the Health Ministry. Like many other schools in Gaza, the Tabeen school had been transformed into a shelter for those who had been forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing conflict.
The scene at the school was devastating, as shown in video footage from the area. The blast had caused walls to crumble and debris to scatter across the floor. The wreckage was littered with blood-soaked clothing, furniture, and twisted metal. A car, its windows blown out, was buried under rubble.
Fadel Naeem, the director of al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, stated that they received 70 bodies and body parts of at least 10 others who had been killed in the strike. The attack had occurred without any warning, as people were praying at a mosque inside the school at the time. A witness, Abu Anas, described the horrific scene, recalling that there were people praying, washing, and sleeping upstairs, including children, women, and elderly individuals. He stated that the missiles fell suddenly, one after the other, leaving behind only body parts to be recovered.
According to Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence first responders, three missiles had struck the school and the mosque inside, where around 6,000 displaced individuals had been seeking refuge from the war. He added that many of the casualties were unrecognizable, and he feared that the death toll would continue to rise. The victims were mostly women and children, he said.
The United Nations reported that out of 564 schools in Gaza, 477 had been directly hit or damaged since the start of the war. In June, another school that was being used as a shelter was targeted by an Israeli strike, resulting in the death of 33 people, including 12 women and children. And just two days before this strike, two schools in eastern Gaza City were hit, killing at least 15 people.
Israel has placed the blame for civilian deaths in Gaza on Hamas, claiming that the group uses schools and residential areas as bases for their operations and attacks. They stated that their intelligence showed that the Tabeen school compound was being used by around 20 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, including senior commanders, to plan attacks on Israeli forces. However, Izzat al-Rishq, a top Hamas official, denied these claims.
The Israeli military spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, also questioned the casualty numbers reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry. They maintained that the targeted school was located next to a mosque, which was being used as a shelter by Gaza City residents. However, a cameraman working for The Associated Press stated that the mosque and the classrooms were in the same building, with the prayer hall on the ground floor and the school above it. He observed that a missile had penetrated through the floor of the classrooms, causing an explosion in the mosque below.
This strike occurred amidst renewed efforts by American, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators to reach a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. However, the assassination of a top Hamas political leader and a senior Hezbollah commander had already heightened tensions in the region. Egypt, a key mediator, condemned the strike and stated that it showed Israel's lack of intention to reach a peaceful resolution to the war. Jordan also denounced the attack, calling it a blatant violation of international law.
In the late hours of Friday, two separate airstrikes in central Gaza City killed 13 people, including three children and seven women. The victims were taken to the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, where an Associated Press journalist counted their bodies. One strike hit a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, while the other hit a house in Deir al-Balah. The ongoing campaign by Israel in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 39,600 Palestinians and injuries to more than 91,700 others, according to the enclave's Health Ministry. The war was triggered by an attack by militants from Gaza in October, which left 1200 people dead and 250 abducted.
The impact of this war has been devastating for the people of Gaza, with over 1.9 million being displaced from their homes and seeking refuge in overcrowded tent camps along the Gaza coast. As the conflict continues, the world watches in horror, hoping for a peaceful resolution to this ongoing tragedy.
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