Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School Kills 16 People

Author: Dian Kencana
July 7, 2024

Gaza. (Photo: AP)

SEAToday.com, Gaza - At least 16 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, July 6, 2024, Palestinian officials said. As a result of this attack, dozens of other people were injured.

As reported by BBC, the building sheltered thousands of displaced people in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said they attacked several "terrorists operating in buildings located in the area of the Al-Jaouni School."

Meanwhile, there were reports that 10 people were killed in a separate airstrike on a house in the camp. Video from the site of the Nuseirat school attack showed adults and children screaming in a smoke-filled street covered in dust and debris, as they ran to help the wounded.

Eyewitnesses told the BBC that the attack targeted the upper floors of the school, which is located near a busy market. One woman told AFP news agency how several children were killed as they were reading the Qur'an when the building came under attack.

"This is the fourth time they have targeted a school without warning," she said.

A local source said the target was a room allegedly used by Hamas police. However, the BBC was unable to verify this claim.

Hamas said five local journalists were among those killed in the Israeli strike on Saturday, July 6, 2024. Their family members were also reportedly targeted.

More than 100 journalists have lost their lives in Gaza since the October 7 offensive, according to Reporters Without Borders. Hamas said the five latest deaths brought the total to 158.