Tragic Airstrike on Gaza School: Civilian Lives Lost Amid Escalated Conflict

An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City school compound has resulted in approximately 100 fatalities, mostly displaced Palestinian families. Videos show the aftermath, with body parts and debris scattered. The strike happened during dawn prayers; officials and eyewitnesses report numerous civilian casualties. Calls for ceasefire talks and international condemnation follow.

An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City school compound housing displaced Palestinian families killed around 100 people, according to the Gaza Civil Emergency Service on Saturday. The Israeli military claimed that around 20 militants had been operating from the compound.

Footage from the scene showed body parts scattered and more bodies being removed and covered in blankets. The floor was littered with empty food tins in a puddle of blood, burnt mattresses, and a child's doll among the debris. In another video, men were seen praying over body bags laid out at the Tabeen school complex.

The Gaza Civil Emergency Service, known for its credible casualty reporting, along with the Hamas-run government media office, stated that the compound was attacked during dawn prayers. "So far, there are more than 93 martyrs, including 11 children and six women. There are unidentified remains," Palestinian civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal said in a press conference.

Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in Gaza's schools, most of which have been closed for the war's duration over the last 10 months. About 350 families sheltered at the compound, one of the many affected by Israel's offensive in Gaza, Bassal stated. Both floors of the compound, the upper floor for families and the lower floor used as a mosque, were hit.

The Israeli military disputed the reported death toll as inflated. "The compound, including the mosque within it that was struck, served as an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility," Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said. The death figures provided by Hamas did not match IDF information, but there was no additional evidence offered by the Israeli army.

An IDF official insisted that the strike targeted the men's section of the mosque, verified by intelligence, and executed with precise munitions that should not cause the reported level of destruction. The exact location of the videos' filming remains unclear. Israel alleges that militants in Gaza embed themselves among civilians, including in schools and hospitals, a claim Hamas and its allies deny.

Hamas labeled the strike a grave crime and significant escalation, asserting that no combatants were among the dead. Other airstrikes on Saturday also resulted in more Palestinian casualties. International reactions included condemnations from the EU and multiple Middle Eastern countries, with renewed calls for ceasefire talks.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri suggested that the strike should mark a turning point in mediation efforts, with Egypt scheduling new negotiations as concerns grow over potential wider regional conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the offensive would continue until Hamas is neutralized. The war began after Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, leading to significant casualties on both sides. Since the assault, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, while Israel reports 329 soldiers have died in the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)