Gaza’s civil defense agency reported on Saturday that the death toll from an Israeli attack on a school in Gaza City has reached between 90 and 100. According to Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the agency, “The death toll is now between 90 to 100 and there are dozens more wounded. Three Israeli rockets hit the school that was housing displaced Palestinians.” The Gaza government media office has stated there were “more than 100 martyrs” in the strike.
Israel’s military claimed that it had “precisely struck Hamas terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control center embedded in the Al-Taba’een school.”
Earlier, on Thursday, the agency reported that Israeli airstrikes had targeted two schools in Gaza City, resulting in over 18 fatalities. The Israeli military at that time stated that these strikes targeted Hamas command centers.
The conflict in Gaza began with a Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in 1,198 deaths, mostly civilians, according to AFP’s count based on Israeli figures. Palestinian militants captured 251 hostages, with 111 still held in Gaza, including 39 who the Israeli military claims are deceased.
Israel’s response has been extensive, with its campaign in Gaza resulting in at least 39,699 deaths, according to the Gaza health ministry controlled by Hamas. This figure does not differentiate between civilian and militant casualties.
Israel has pledged to eradicate Hamas in response to the October attack. However, after 10 months of conflict, Israeli forces have been forced to re-engage in areas like Khan Yunis, a southern Gaza city, where they had previously withdrawn in April following intense battles.
On Friday, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for parts of Khan Yunis. Images from AFPTV showed people moving through the damaged streets on foot, donkeys, and motorcycle carts carrying their belongings.
The UN humanitarian office OCHA estimated that “at least 60,000 Palestinians may have moved towards western Khan Yunis in the past 72 hours,” according to UN spokeswoman Florencia Soto Nino.
The ongoing war in Gaza has also drawn in Iran-aligned groups, increasing concerns about a potential broader conflict in the Middle East following the killing of two senior militants, including Hamas’s political leader.