Gaza civil defence says Israel strike on school killed more than 90

JERUSALEM - Gaza’s civil defence agency said on Aug 10 that the death toll from the latest Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians had risen to more than 90, even as Israel’s military said it struck a militants’ command centre.

AFP could not independently verify the toll which, if confirmed, would appear to be one of the largest from a single strike during 10 months of war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants.

“So far, there are more than 93 martyrs, including 11 children and six women. There are unidentified remains,” said spokesman Mahmud Bassal from the Palestinian Civil Defence, in a televised news conference.

The strike hit “the upper and ground floors of the school. The upper floor included women and children, and the ground floor included people who were praying. They were directly hit”, he added. Around 6,000 people had been sheltering at the compound, according to Mr Bassal.

“Their bodies were torn apart,” Mr Bassal told AFP. “It reminds us of the first days of the war in the Gaza Strip.”

The Islamic Jihad, a militant group fighting alongside Hamas, said the strike took place “during the dawn prayer”.

Mr Ismail al-Thawabta, director-general of the Gaza government media office, said the strike “resulted in more than 100 martyrs and dozens of injuries, most of which are in severe and critical condition”.

Ms Francesca Albanese, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on the rights situation in Palestinian territories, said on social media platform X: “Israel is genociding the Palestinians one neighbourhood at the time, one hospital at the time, one school at the time, one refugee camp at the time, one safe zone at the time.”

With most of Gaza’s 2.4 million people displaced during the war started by

Hamas’ Oct 7 attack on southern Israel

, many have sought refuge in school buildings.

The Aug 10 incident brings to at least 14 the number of schools struck in Gaza since July 6, killing more than 280, according to an AFP tally of tolls previously given by officials in the territory.

AFPTV live images from the scene showed a large complex with a courtyard where debris lay inside and out. Part of the structure appeared to be a mosque, the upper storey of which was partially blown out and charred.

Images showed white-shrouded bodies, blood stains on the ground, and smoke rising from the rubble.

Israel’s military said it struck a Hamas “command and control centre” embedded in the Al-Tabieen school in the Daraj neighbourhood.

“Numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and intelligence information,” a statement said.

“The compound, and the mosque that was struck within it, served as an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility,” Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani said on X.

“According to an initial review, the numbers published by the Hamas-run Government Information Office in Gaza do not align with the information held by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), the precise munitions used, and the accuracy of the strike,” he said.

The military has repeatedly made similar accusations after strikes on school shelters.

Hamas has previously denied Israeli claims that it uses schools, hospitals and other civilian facilities for military aims.

On Aug 8, the civil defence agency said Israeli strikes hit two schools in Gaza City, killing more than 18 people. That came after two other schools were hit on Aug 4 in the city, with at least 30 dead, according to the agency.

The Israeli military said it struck Hamas command centres in both instances.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and in January, the military said it had dismantled the group’s command structure in northern Gaza. But the military has since found itself returning there and to other areas of the territory to battle militants again.

Mr Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, urged Israel’s ally Washington to put an end to the “blind support that leads to the killing of thousands of innocent civilians, including children, women, and the elderly”.

Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia condemned the strike, which came as mediators were pushing to resume ceasefire talks. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the strike should serve as a turning point in their efforts.

Egypt, the United States and Qatar have scheduled a new round of ceasefire talks for Aug 15, as fears are growing of a broader conflict involving Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said the timing of the school strike “is an indication of the Israeli government’s efforts to obstruct and thwart these efforts”. Egypt said the killing of Gaza civilians showed Israel had no intention to end the war.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on X that he was appalled by the air strike and called for an immediate ceasefire. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry described the strike as a “horrific massacre”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said he will not end the war until Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israelis, said a delegation would be sent to the Aug 15 talks.

A Hamas official told Reuters the group was studying the new offer for talks but did not elaborate.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. AFP, REUTERS