Over 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured early Saturday morning in an Israeli airstrike on the “Al-Tabi’in” school, which shelters displaced people in Al-Daraj district of Gaza City, according to news reports.
The Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) cited local sources stating that Israeli warplanes bombed the school during dawn prayers. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have continued their military operations across Gaza by land, air, and sea, resulting in the deaths of 39,699 Palestinians, mostly children and women, and injuring 91,722 others.
Earlier today, Gaza’s Civil Defense announced the death of 40 individuals and numerous injuries from an Israeli strike on a school in Gaza City. Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Civil Defense, stated on Telegram that the strike on “Al-Tabi’in” school resulted in “40 martyrs and dozens of injured.” He condemned this “horrific massacre” and mentioned that “bodies were set ablaze.” He added, “Crews are trying to control the fire to retrieve the bodies of the martyrs and rescue the injured.”
The Israeli military stated, “A plane recently targeted with intelligence guidance… militants operating at a military headquarters placed inside the ‘Al-Tabi’in’ school.” They added that “(Hamas) militants used the headquarters as a hideout and to promote various terrorist attacks against the Israeli Defense Forces and the State of Israel.” On Thursday, Gaza’s Civil Defense had announced that at least 18 people were killed in an Israeli strike on two schools. The Israeli military stated, “Terrorists and Hamas leaders used the school buildings (…) to plan and execute attacks from there.”
Israel agreed to resume negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, where its army launched a new attack in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza on Friday, following an urgent call from mediating countries while the Middle East faces the risk of a significant military escalation.
Iran, which supports the “Hamas” movement and other factions in the region, accused Israel on Thursday of seeking to “expand” the scope of the war that erupted on October 7 following an unprecedented attack by “Hamas” inside Israeli territory.
Ten months after the war began, the Israeli military continues to confront “Hamas” in Gaza, especially in areas it had previously declared under its control. The Israeli military announced that it is engaging in battles “on the ground and in tunnels” in Khan Yunis, the largest city in southern Gaza, where it conducted airstrikes on “more than 30 Hamas terrorist targets.” On Thursday, it urged residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of this city. Civilians, in large numbers, once again took the road to flee, either by car or packed into carts with their belongings.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated on Friday that “at least 60,000 Palestinians have moved to the west of Khan Yunis over the past 72 hours,” following evacuation orders in the northern area as well. The war has left approximately 40,000 dead in the small and besieged Palestinian sector, where nearly all of its 2.4 million inhabitants have been forced to flee. The war has exacerbated tensions between Iran and its allies, particularly Hezbollah, and Israel.
Fears of a regional war have intensified after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political bureau chief of “Hamas,” in Tehran on July 31, which Iran attributed to Israel, and the assassination of the military leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Fouad Shukr, the previous day in an Israeli raid on southern Beirut.
The United States, Qatar, and Egypt, mediating between Israel and “Hamas,” issued a statement Thursday/Friday night urging both parties to resume talks on August 15 in Doha or Cairo; “to bridge all remaining gaps and start implementing the agreement without delay.” The leaders of the three countries added, “The time has come to finalize a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of hostages and detainees.” Israel agreed to send “a delegation of negotiators to the agreed location on August 15 to finalize the details of implementing the agreement,” according to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant emphasized “the importance of quickly reaching an agreement that ensures the return of hostages held by (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip.”
“Hamas” appointed Yahya Sinwar as the head of its political office in Gaza this week, replacing Haniyeh, while Israel accuses him of being one of the masterminds of the October 7 attack, raising concerns that negotiations may become more complicated.
As diplomatic efforts continue to prevent a regional military escalation, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, General Michael Erik Kurilla, visited Israel for the second time this week on Friday, while the United States has bolstered its military presence in the region.
