Israeli forces attacked two schools in Gaza City. The attacks killed at least 30 people, mostly women and children, according to local authorities. “The destroyed facilities were used by Hamas for terrorist purposes,” the Israeli army commented.
The Gaza Civil Defense reported that some of the wounded were in critical condition. According to local authorities, most of the victims were women and children. The Israeli side claims that Hamas set up hideouts and command centers in the schools from which it coordinated attacks against the Israeli military. The Israeli military statement noted that “many steps were taken before the airstrike to minimize the impact of the attack on civilians.”
The Israeli military regularly accuses Hamas of using civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, for military purposes. Hamas denies the allegations.
READ: “This attack will happen. What will it be like? Nobody knows”
Earlier, the hospital went up in flames.
At least 44 people were killed in the war across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the Hamas-controlled local health ministry said.
A 12-year-old boy lies in a bed at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza StripEPA
Earlier on Sunday, an Israeli attack caused a fire at a hospital in the central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah. At least five people were killed and at least 18 wounded, Reuters reported, citing local medical sources. Residents of the area southeast of Khan Yunus and north of Rafah were ordered to evacuate, and the Israeli army announced a “decisive operation against militants operating in the area.”
Israeli forces continue to carry out airstrikes and bombings of the Gaza Strip despite growing tensions on the country's northern border, where Israel is preparing for a serious escalation of the conflict with Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran.
West Bank and Gaza StripPAP
Ceasefire talks without progress
Another round of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas ended in Cairo on Saturday, but failed to produce any progress in the negotiations. Both sides blame each other for the failure of the talks.
Destruction in Gaza StripMOHAMMED SABER/PAP/EPA
Main image source: EPA