- Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 12, more trapped under rubble
- Rescuers are struggling to recover a number of missing people
- The school was reportedly housing around 700 displaced people
- Israel claims it had targeted a Hamas command and control centre inside the school
- More than 40,170 people have been killed in Gaza
Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 12, more trapped under rubble
An Israeli air strike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City has killed at least 12 Palestinians, the Civil Defence Authority has said.
Rescuers are struggling to recover a number of missing people who they suspect are trapped under the rubble at Mustafa Hafez school in the western Rimal neighbourhood.
The Israeli military claims it had targeted a Hamas command and control centre inside the school and it had taken steps to minimise the risk of harming innocent civilians.
Mahmoud Basal, Hamas’ Civil Defence spokesman, said in the afternoon that rescue crews had so far recovered the bodies of 12 people. The strike targeted the entire wing of the school, where he estimates around 700 displaced people were living, he added.
More than 40,170 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its air and ground campaign in response to the October 7 attacks.
The moment when the body of journalist Hamza Murtaja was retrieved yesterday following the Israeli massacre at Mustafa Hafez School in Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/b0f8OEV7Jo
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 21, 2024
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said aircraft had conducted a “a precise strike on terrorists who were operating within a Hamas command and control centre” which had been embedded inside the school and used to plan and launch attacks against its troops and Israel.
