At least 26 people were killed and 93 others wounded when Israeli airstrikes hit a mosque and a school in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Displaced Persons Living In Targeted Buildings
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said that displaced persons were living in the targeted buildings.
Another 20 Persons Killed
Palestinian health officials said at least another 20 persons had been killed since Saturday night in northern Gaza.
This happened after the army sent tanks into areas there for the first time in months and urged residents to leave.
Strikes Around The First Anniversary Of The War
The strikes came as the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas 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.
Precise Strikes On Hamas Terrorists
The Israeli military said it had conducted “precise strikes on Hamas terrorists” .
These terrorists were operating within command and control centres embedded in Ibn Rushd School and the Shuhada al-Aqsa Mosque, in central Gaza.
Denial Of Accusations
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 neighbourhood has displaced people,” imam Ahmed Fleet said while retrieving Korans from the debris.
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.
ICRC Calls For Protections Of All Civilians
The International Committee of the Red Cross urged all parties to ensure all civilians were protected.
It further said, ” Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions have been displaced across the region.”
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said Israel had struck 27 houses, schools and displacement shelters across Gaza in the past 48 hours.
Medics said an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinians in Rafah, near the border with Egypt, where Israeli forces have been operating since May.
Tanks Push Into Nothern Gaza
The army on Saturday issued new evacuation orders in parts
of Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, forcing hundreds of families to leave their houses.
The military said its forces aimed to operate against
Hamas militants who waged attacks from the territory.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks pushed into the northern Gaza areas
of Beit Lahiya and Jabalia overnight.
Twenty Persons Killed
Medics said that planes hit several houses, killing at least 20 people.
On Sunday, the Israeli military said that troops operating in Jabalia had killed dozens of Palestinian
militants, and located weapons, and explosive devices.
“The troops continue operational activity against
terrorist infrastructure and terrorists in the area,” the
statement said.
Earlier in the day, it said its forces had encircled the
area of Jabalia, the focus of its operations.
In one air strike, 10 people were killed in one house, and
five others in another strike on a second home.
One Of The Worst Nights In Many Months
Residents described it as one of the worst nights in many months.
“The war is back,” said Raed, 52, from Jabalia, before he
and his family left for Gaza City on Sunday.
“Dozens of explosions from airstrikes and tank shelling
shook the ground and buildings, it felt like the early days of
the war,” he told Reuters.
The armed wings of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and smaller
factions said fighters were engaged in gunbattles with Israeli
forces in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza Strip’s eight historic
refugee camps.
The Israeli military said its forces were operating in Jabalia to fight Hamas militants, dismantle military infrastructure and prevent Hamas from regrouping.
Instructions To Residents
It directed residents to head towards a humanitarian-designated area in Al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian and U.N. officials say no place in the enclave
is safe, including the humanitarian zones.
Journalist Killed
Hassan Hamad, a local journalist was among those killed in north Gaza on Sunday.
The Gaza government media office said that 175 Palestinian journalists have been killed since October 7 last year.
