At least 15 Palestinians, including children, were killed and dozens injured in Israeli airstrikes on schools sheltering displaced people in Gaza City on Thursday, the Civil Defense Agency said.
Israeli warplanes attacked al-Zahraa and Abdel Fattah Hamoud schools in al-Tuffah neighborhood, witnesses said.
Medical sources said that children were among the victims.
The Israeli army confirmed the attack, claiming that the two schools were used as “hideouts” by Hamas fighters.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas on the Israeli claim.
Israel has continued a devastating military offensive in the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
Nearly 39,700 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 91,700 injured, according to local health authorities.
Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
