Israeli airstrikes kill 15, target school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza

Israeli military confirms attack that was carried out under pretext of hitting Hamas command and control centre

At least 15 people have been killed following an Israeli airstrike that hit a school in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, where thousands of displaced Palestinians had sought shelter.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, many of the victims were women and children.

This incident is part of a series of airstrikes that have caused rising civilian casualties, especially in schools and shelters across the war-torn region.

The Israeli military confirmed the attack, claiming the target was a Hamas command-and-control center operating inside the school.

However, this assertion has been strongly contested by local Palestinian authorities and the Hamas-run Civil Defense agency, which reported that no military activities were taking place in the school at the time.

They denounced the strike as a "massacre" of innocent civilians seeking refuge from ongoing violence.

Footage from the site showed scenes of chaos, with rescue workers pulling bodies from the rubble while survivors searched for loved ones amidst the wreckage.

Reports indicated severe damage to the school building, with some of the dead too mutilated to be identified immediately.

This strike brings the total number of casualties in Gaza over the past 24 hours to 36, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.

Since the war began nearly a year ago between Israel and Hamas, more than 41,500 Palestinians have been killed, with over half of the victims being women and children.

Earlier in the week, another 22 civilians, including 13 children, were killed in similar airstrikes targeting schools in northern Gaza.

Despite Israel’s repeated claims that such strikes are aimed at Hamas fighters allegedly using civilian infrastructure, international organizations have expressed growing concern over the rising civilian death toll.

According to satellite data from the UN, more than 60% of Gaza’s schools have been directly hit during the conflict.

The ongoing strikes have forced millions of Palestinians to seek shelter in schools, many of which have been converted into makeshift refugee centers.

However, even these spaces have become unsafe.

The UN and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called for the protection of civilian infrastructure and the implementation of international humanitarian law in conflict zones.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, urged the international community to intervene immediately, calling for an end to what he described as genocide and indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas.

He condemned the continued supply of weapons to Israel, adding that the world must act to stop the bloodshed.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, defended Israel’s actions, stating that they are in response to Hamas's attack,

Danon criticized Abbas for not condemning Hamas’s actions and reiterated Israel’s position that Hamas continues to exploit civilian areas for military purposes, which, he argues, forces Israel to carry out these strikes.

Efforts to broker a ceasefire, led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, have stalled, with no significant progress reported in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, the conflict continues to escalate, with heavy civilian casualties on both sides.