The Israeli military said at least 19 Palestinian fighters were killed Saturday in a predawn attack on a school compound. Rescuers said 93 people were killed, a toll that has sparked international outrage.
“It can be confirmed at this time that 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters were eliminated in the attack on the Tabin religious school,” an Israeli military statement said, adding that the fighters were operating from a Hamas command and control center located there to plan attacks against Israel and Israeli security forces.
“The attack was carried out using three precision bullets,” the statement added. “The attack did not cause any serious damage to the school's boundaries. The areas where the terrorists are hiding.”
In another statement issued later on Saturday evening (August 10), the army said: “It is very likely that Ashraf Judeh is in the military headquarters at the Tabi’in School. This is our target.” Judeh is the top military commander of the Islamic Jihad movement. “But it is not clear whether he was hit in the attack.”
Rescue teams in Gaza uncovered the attack. It killed up to 93 people, including women and children. The toll has drawn international condemnation. Israel claims it is targeting militants.
AFP could not independently confirm the death toll. But if confirmed, it would be one of the costliest attacks in the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. It has been more than 10 months since Hamas unexpectedly attacked Israel on October 7.
The bombing of the Tabeen religious school and its mosque has drawn condemnation from across the Middle East and beyond, as well as calls for a ceasefire. After international mediators called on the warring parties to return to the negotiating table, moving toward a long-awaited ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Mahmoud Basal, a civil defense spokesman. Eleven children and six women were among the 93 people killed in the school-turned-shelter. There were many unidentified bodies. “They dropped rockets on them. They were just praying,” said one woman, crying. Sitting, hugging the lifeless body of a child covered in a black plastic bag.
Hamas fighters denounced the incident, adding that “the escalation of the situation is dangerous.” The Lebanese Hamas alliance called it a “horrific massacre.”
Iran backs both militant groups and accuses Israel of wanting to spread war across the Middle East. This comes in the wake of recent assassinations of prominent figures in Tehran and Beirut, denouncing what they called a “brutal and barbaric attack.”
Almost all of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents were left homeless during the war. Many were forced to take shelter in various school buildings. But the school has been the target of Israeli attacks at least 14 times since July 6 alone.
Israel makes the same accusations. About the movements of armed groups inside the school after the operation to attack different schools that were used as a shelter. Hamas denies using any civilian facilities. For military purposes.
UN Security Council spokesman Sean Savitt said Hamas was said to be operating out of the school. But as we have consistently stressed, Israel must take action to minimize harm to civilians.”
Jordanian Foreign Ministry specifies the time of the attack. This indicates that Israel is trying to thwart the last attempt of the mediator, while Qatar is another mediator. Calling on the international community to open an urgent investigation, while Turkey claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to undermine the ceasefire negotiations
Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on October 7 killed 1,198 people, most of them civilians. The war was sparked by the Palestinian militants taking 251 hostages, 111 of whom are still being held in Gaza. But the Israeli military believes 39 of them are dead.
The Israeli army responded by launching a military operation against Gaza. At least 39,790 people were killed, most of them civilians.
Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said France was “horrified” by the attack on the school. France said Israel needed to respect international humanitarian law. “It has been several weeks now. School buildings have been repeatedly targeted. We cannot tolerate civilian casualties.”
(Source: Agence France-Presse)
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