On Saturday, an Israeli strike targeted a UN-run school in Gaza, killing 16 people and injuring 50, according to The Daily Trust. The school, Al-Jawni, located in Nuseirat, central Gaza, was sheltering approximately 7,000 displaced individuals at the time of the attack. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory condemned the strike as an "odious massacre," noting that most of the casualties were children, women, and the elderly.
The Israeli military stated that its aircraft targeted "terrorists" operating around the school, asserting that the location served as a hideout and operational infrastructure for attacks against IDF troops. Despite claims that steps were taken to mitigate civilian harm, the attack has drawn significant condemnation.
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which runs the school, reported that dozens of people were seen scrambling through the rubble in search of survivors. In a separate incident, UNRWA also reported the deaths of two of its workers in a strike at Al-Bureij in central Gaza, where the agency maintains a major food warehouse.
The conflict, which began with Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel resulting in 1,195 deaths, mostly civilians, has escalated significantly. Israel's subsequent military offensive has killed at least 38,098 people in Gaza, according to data from the Gaza health ministry.
The situation remains dire, with civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal stating, "Absolutely no place in the Gaza Strip is safe."