Al-Shifa Hospital director, Mohammad Abu Salmiya, has confirmed the deaths of at least 25 people following Israeli attacks on a school in Gaza City. The casualties were taken to Gaza’s largest hospital complex, where Salmiya stated, “We received 25 martyrs from Al-Buraq School after missile and artillery strikes targeted the school this morning.” Although the Reuters news agency reported the director’s statement as at least 20 Palestinians killed, AFP news agency estimated the number to be around 50 people. Disturbing video footage shared on social media depicted numerous bodies scattered across the school located in the Al-Nasr neighborhood in the aftermath of the attack. The school had been providing shelter to those whose homes had been destroyed by previous Israeli bombardments.
The Israeli army has significantly intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, with schools, mosques, and hospitals repeatedly becoming targets. Last week, an Israeli air missile struck the Al-Fakhoora School, operated by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), in the Jabalia refugee camp. This attack resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people and injured 54, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The Al-Fakhoora School had become a refuge for thousands of people displaced due to Israel’s relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip. This incident marked the third major attack on the Jabalia camp. It occurred just hours after a deadly strike on the Osama bin Zaid School, which was also sheltering displaced families in the Al-Saftawi area north of Gaza City. Local media reported a death toll of at least 20 people.
The overall impact of Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7 has been devastating, with at least 11,078 Palestinians killed. In Israel, the death toll has exceeded 1,400. Officials have reported that more than 50 percent of housing units across Gaza have been damaged by the Israeli strikes. The United Nations humanitarian office described the situation in northern Gaza as a “hell on Earth.”
As tensions continue to escalate in the region, the international community is closely monitoring the situation and urging for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The disproportionate use of force by the Israeli army and the resulting civilian casualties have drawn widespread condemnation. Calls for peace negotiations and diplomatic dialogue are intensifying, with hopes of finding a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
