Gaza’s civil defence agency reported on Saturday that an Israeli airstrike killed at least 90 people in a school sheltering displaced individuals in Gaza City.
According to the agency, three Israeli rockets struck the Al-Taba’een school, resulting in what it described as a “horrific massacre,” with some victims’ bodies catching fire.
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, stating that it had “precisely struck Hamas terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control centre embedded in the school.” This incident follows similar strikes two days earlier on two other schools in Gaza City, which Gazan authorities say resulted in over 18 deaths. Israel’s military had previously claimed that those strikes also targeted Hamas command centres.
These events are part of Israel’s broader campaign to dismantle Hamas in retaliation for the group’s October 7 attack. Amid the ongoing conflict, Israel has agreed to resume peace talks next week, responding to calls from international mediators to prevent further escalation in the region.
Iran has accused Israel of seeking to expand the conflict across the Middle East, while some Hamas officials and critics within Israel have suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war for political gain.
The fighting, which has lasted for 10 months, continues to displace large numbers of Gazans. Residents in Khan Yunis, a southern city in Gaza, have expressed desperation over the situation. Ahmed al-Najjar, a local resident, exclaimed, “Have mercy on us, for God’s sake, the young children and women are dying in the streets. Enough!”
The Israeli military recently resumed operations around Khan Yunis, issuing an evacuation order for parts of the city. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that at least 60,000 Palestinians have moved towards western Khan Yunis in the past three days.
There has only been one ceasefire during the conflict, which lasted a week in November. Efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a second truce have been ongoing for months. The leaders of these nations released a joint statement on Thursday, inviting both parties to resume negotiations on August 15 in Doha or Cairo to finalise and implement a peace deal.
The Israeli government has confirmed its intention to send negotiators to finalize the agreement, while Hamas has yet to publicly respond to the mediators’ invitation.
