At least 90 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli strike on a school in Gaza, according to local officials.
Gaza Civil Defense said the Al-Tabi’in school was housing displaced Palestinians in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in the eastern part of Gaza City when it was hit overnight into Saturday.
In its statement, the military claimed the “command and control center served as a hideout for Hamas terrorists and commanders, from which various attacks were planned and advanced against IDF troops and the State of Israel.”
The military also said that before the airstrike, “numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and intelligence information.”
Israeli military action in Gaza has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians and injured over 90,000, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. As of early July, nearly 2 million people had been displaced in the enclave – almost its entire population, according to figures from the United Nations.
Israel launched the military offensive on October 7, after militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel. At least 1,200 people were killed, and more than 250 others abducted in the Hamas-led assault, according to Israeli authorities.
A doctor working in a nearby hospital earlier said at least 50 people had been killed in Saturday’s strike.
Basal said many of the dead were yet to be identified.
“There are still large quantities of body parts and torn bodies inside Al-Ahli hospital,” he said. “Families are having a hard time identifying their children.”
Basal also said that many of the injured transferred to hospital are in very serious condition.
Saturday’s attack follows similar lethal strikes by Israel over the past week.
Airstrikes on multiple school buildings sheltering displaced Palestinians last weekend killed at least 47, including many children, and injured dozens more.
This is a developing story.