Gaza civil defence says Israel strike on schools kills 30

Palestinian rescuers extinguish a fire after Israeli bombardment hit a school complex in the Gaza City area on August 3, 2024 – Copyright AFP Omar AL-QATTAA

Gaza’s civil defence agency said an Israeli strike hit two schools in Gaza City on Sunday, killing at least 30 people, while the military reported it had struck Hamas command centres.

These bring to at least 11 the number of schools in Gaza to be struck since July 6, killing around 150 people, based on a tally of tolls previously given by officials in the Hamas-run territory.

“The number of martyrs in the massacre of the Hassan Salameh and Al-Nasr schools’ bombing has risen to 30. Dozens were also wounded,” civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

Bassal said most of the dead and wounded were women and children.

He said the schools were housing Palestinians displaced from their homes in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants.

Israel’s military confirmed the strike targeting the two schools.

“The schools were used by Hamas’ Al-Furqan Battalion as a hiding place for its terrorist operatives and as command centres,” the military said in a statement.

On Saturday, a similar Israeli strike hit another school compound in Gaza City, killing at least 17 people, according to the civil defence agency.

The Israeli military has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilian facilities as command and control centres or to hide their commanders and militants. The Palestinian group denies the accusation.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in the death of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also seized 251 people, 111 of whom are still held hostage in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 39,583 people, according to the territory’s health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which does not give details of civilian and militant deaths.