Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School Claims 27 Lives Amid Ongoing Conflict

At least 27 Palestinians were reported killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza City that was serving as a shelter for displaced families. The Israeli military justified the strike by asserting that it targeted prominent Hamas terrorists. Casualties from this and other recent strikes have surged, prompting renewed calls for humanitarian assistance in the region.

An Israeli airstrike on a school in northern Gaza, which was being used as a shelter for displaced families, has resulted in at least 27 fatalities, including women and children, as reported by the Hamas-operated health ministry. The strike occurred at the Dar al-Arqam school in Gaza City's northeastern Tuffah district, where numerous individuals were also injured. The Israeli military, however, claimed the strike targeted "prominent terrorists" believed to be located in a Hamas command center without acknowledging the presence of the school.

Over the preceding 24 hours, Israeli attacks led to additional casualties, with reports indicating that 97 Palestinians were killed during this period alone, amidst an expanding offensive aimed at gaining control over large areas of Palestinian territory. Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, confirmed the tragic loss of life, highlighting that a heavily pregnant woman and several children were among the deceased.

Local hospitals, including al-Ahli, were inundated with wounded individuals, as footage showed children being transported with severe injuries. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) justified their actions by stating the airstrike targeted locations used by Hamas for planning assaults against Israeli civilians and armed forces and claimed measures were taken to protect innocent lives.

On the same night, further airstrikes in Gaza's Shejaiya district claimed another 12 lives, with reports describing the devastating scene of rescuers retrieving bodies from the debris of collapsed homes. A local resident recounted the sheer terror of the explosion that rocked their neighborhood while others began fleeing western Gaza City following the evacuation orders issued by the IDF, which warned of intensified military operations.

The intensification of hostilities began on March 18 after a ceasefire and hostage release agreement reached in January ended, leading to an escalated Israeli campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas. The IDF's chief spokesperson disclosed that more than 600 military targets had been struck across Gaza recently, with over 250 Hamas militants reportedly killed. Casualty figures from Gaza's health ministry have surged, with claims of over 1,163 lives lost in recent weeks, including more than 300 children.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that military operations aim to create new corridors that would isolate regions within Gaza, thereby pressuring Hamas regarding hostages held captive. In contrast, Hamas has rejected the latest ceasefire proposal mediated by the US, insisting instead on an alternative plan backed by Qatar and Egypt that emphasizes a more extended truce.

Seizing upon the situation, the IDF is also investigating the killing of 15 Palestinian emergency responders by Israeli fire while they were attending to emergencies in Rafah. A survivor of the incident has contested the IDF's claims, asserting that all emergency vehicles were functioning appropriately and that no Hamas operatives were present during the attack.

This ongoing conflict has seen an unprecedented toll on lives and has further complicated the already dire humanitarian crisis in the region. Since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, the health ministry in Gaza reported a staggering death toll exceeding 50,520 individuals.