GAZA – On Wednesday, Israeli strikes on a school in northern Gaza, being used to house displaced families, resulted in the deaths of 13 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. This occurred as Israeli forces continued demolishing homes and buildings in Rafah, located in the southern part of the enclave.
Medics reported that two strikes hit the Karama School in Tuffah, a suburb of Gaza City. Among the fatalities was a local journalist, Nour Abdu, according to Palestinian media sources. As of now, there has been no immediate statement from the Israeli army.
On Tuesday, two Israeli airstrikes on another school in central Gaza, also sheltering displaced individuals, killed at least 29 people, including women and children, according to local health authorities. The Israeli military stated that it targeted “terrorists” operating from a command center within the school compound.
Read more: Gaza: Nine Killed by Israeli Airstrike
Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed on Wednesday that their fighters detonated a pre-planted minefield targeting an Israeli armored force east of Khan Younis, inflicting casualties and following up with mortar shelling of the area.
In Rafah, near the Egyptian border, residents and Hamas sources reported that Israeli forces, who have taken control of the city, continued to demolish houses and buildings using explosives.
Israeli troops have already seized control of approximately one-third of Gaza, displacing residents and constructing watchtowers and surveillance posts on cleared land, which the military has designated as security zones.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Monday that an expanded offensive against Hamas would be “intensive” following the approval of plans by his security cabinet, which may involve seizing the entire Gaza Strip and controlling aid distribution.
Israeli officials have suggested that Rafah could potentially be used as a new humanitarian zone.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
According to Hamas-run health authorities, Israel’s military campaign has resulted in the deaths of over 52,000 Palestinians, primarily civilians, and has left much of Gaza in ruins.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office reported that the death of Nour Abdu on Wednesday brings the total number of Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli fire since the start of the war to 213.
