Smoke rises after an explosion in Gaza, seen from the Israel-Gaza border, amid the Gaza war, September 3, 2024. (Credits: Amir Cohen/ Reuters)
At least 13 Palestinians were killed and 15 wounded in Israeli airstrikes early on Saturday morning targeting a school sheltering refugees and a residential building in Gaza, as reported by the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, WAFA.
The Israeli army stated it had carried out a "precise strike" on what it claimed was a Hamas command and control center located within the former Halima al-Sa'diyya School in Jabalia, northern Gaza. The attack reportedly killed at least eight individuals who were in refugee tents at the site. This school has been a focal point in the ongoing conflict.
In a separate attack, Israeli forces targeted a residential building in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, killing five Palestinians.
This escalation of violence occurs against the backdrop of a protracted conflict that began on Oct. 7 of last year, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on Israel, causing 1,200 Israeli deaths and approximately 250 hostages. Israel’s strikes have resulted in over 40,800 Palestinian deaths and have displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza, which is home to 2.3 million people. The humanitarian crisis has intensified, with widespread hunger and allegations of genocide that Israel refutes.
According to the United Nations, at least 1.9 million people across Gaza are internally displaced, with some being uprooted multiple times. As international efforts to broker a ceasefire intensify, there is growing pressure on both sides to reach an agreement to halt the violence and address the urgent humanitarian needs in the area.