Palestinians Report Israeli Strike Kills 22 in Shelter; Army Claims Militants Responsible – Reuters

By Dawoud Abu Alkas and Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA/CAIRO (Reuters) – Palestinians reported that an Israeli airstrike killed at least 22 individuals at a school accommodating displaced persons in southern Gaza City on Saturday, while the Israeli military stated that the operation targeted a Hamas command center.

According to the Gaza health ministry, a majority of those who lost their lives were women and children. The media office run by Hamas indicated that among the deceased were 13 children and six women.

The Israeli military claimed it struck a Hamas command center located within a facility that had previously served as a school, reiterating its position that Hamas utilizes civilian structures for military operations, a claim that Hamas disputes.

Footage from the scene showed severely damaged walls, charred and scattered furniture, and significant destruction to the building’s ceiling as individuals attempted to recover their belongings.

"The women and their children were in the school playground, the kids were playing, and suddenly two rockets struck them," recounted a witness, Said Al-Malahi.

Some victims were wrapped in blankets and transported away on donkey carts, while ambulances carried others.

"I couldn’t bear it; I did not see a single injured man, only women and children. Let the Arab countries rejoice and applaud for (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the United States," lamented another witness, Ahmed Azzam, expressing frustration that neighboring nations were not taking a stronger stance against Israel.

MEDICS KILLED

In Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, the Gaza health ministry reported that an Israeli strike on ministry warehouses resulted in the deaths of four healthcare workers. Emergency personnel were unable to reach the victims or provide medical aid to the injured.

The Israeli military stated that its operations in Rafah, ongoing since May, have resulted in the deaths of numerous militants and the dismantling of military infrastructure and tunnel networks.

Israel’s insistence on maintaining control over the southern border between Rafah and Egypt has become a significant obstacle in international negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire.

While Hamas is focused on reaching an agreement to conclude the conflict and withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza, Israel asserts that the war can only end with the complete eradication of Hamas. The terms surrounding an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel have also been contentious.

This latest clash in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict was ignited on October 7 when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

In response, Israel’s military operations in the enclave have reportedly claimed the lives of more than 41,000 Palestinians, based on figures from the local health ministry, and have displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Additional reporting by Dawoud Abu Alkas in Gaza, Adam Makary in Cairo, and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Andrew Cawthorne)