In yet another act of military aggression in war-torn Gaza, Israel’s airstrike on a school killed at least 20 Palestinians and injured dozens in the city on Tuesday, August, 20. The incident marks the 11th attack on educational institutions in Gaza this month.
According to the reports, the Israeli forces attacked the Mustafa Hafiz School, which was sheltering thousands of Palestinian refugees forced to leave their homes by Israeli authorities during an on-ground invasion in several occupied territories.
According to a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence agency, Mahmud Bassal, the victims included children, and their bodies were recovered from the debris of the school building after an Israeli bomb struck the second floor.
“Our crews retrieved 12 martyrs from the Mustafa Hafiz school, which was bombed by the Israeli occupation west of Gaza City,” agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP.
As per the reports, journalist Hamza Murtaja was also among the victims killed in the bombing of the school.
Following the attack, medical personnel faced challenges in treating the injured civilians, including minors. Many victims arrived in critical condition, suffering from severe burns and shrapnel wounds.
The disturbing images and footage from the scene depicted a devasting aftermath, with bodies scattered and significant destruction evident, contradicting claims of precision targeting by the Israeli occupational force.
The Israeli military defended, claiming it targeted a Hamas command centre allegedly used by militants as a hideout. However, Hamas officials denied the allegations, and local officials described the strike as a “horrific massacre” that occurred during dawn prayers, leading to a higher casualty count.
The attack on Mustafa Hafiz School is the latest in a series of at least 10 Israeli airstrikes on Gaza schools this month, resulting in the deaths of nearly 180 Palestinians
Speaking on the fresh attack, Iranian officials accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza, stating that Israel’s military repeatedly targets Gaza’s civic infrastructure including schools sheltering displaced civilians, often claiming without evidence they are linked to Hamas, to evade international criticism.
The attack on the school which was declared a “safe zone” for displaced Palestinians comes after dozens of strikes against Gaza schools including brutal twin attacks on Hamama School leading the total death toll to 16, with scores of others injured and several people missing under the rubble.
According to the reports of Palestinian health authorities Israel’s ground and air campaign in Gaza has killed more than 38,000 people, mostly civilians, and driven most of the enclave’s 2.3 million people from their homes.
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