At least 26 people were killed and 93 others wounded when Israeli airstrikes hit a mosque and a school sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip early on Sunday, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said.
Palestinian health officials said at least another 20 people had been killed since Saturday night in northern Gaza, after the army sent tanks into areas there for the first time in months and urged residents to leave.
The Israeli military said it had conducted “precise strikes on Hamas terrorists” who were operating within command and control centers embedded in Ibn Rushd School and the Shuhada al-Aqsa Mosque, in the area of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
Hamas rejects accusations it uses civilian facilities such as schools, hospitals and mosques for military purposes.
“The mosque has been here for 20 years, and the neighborhood has displaced people,” imam Ahmed Fleet said as he retrieved Korans from the debris. “I was shocked when it was struck.”
The strikes came as the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group approaches its first anniversary, and as Israel has been expanding its actions in Lebanon.
Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
It has also displaced nearly all of the enclave’s 2.3 million people, caused a hunger crisis and led to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies.
The International Committee of the Red Cross urged all parties to ensure all civilians were protected.
“This is a year marked by heartbreak and unanswered questions. Families have been torn apart, with many loved ones still held against their will. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions have been displaced across the region,” it said.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said Israel had struck 27 houses, schools and displacement shelters across Gaza in the past 48 hours.
