By Gaza City – In a tragic escalation of the ongoing conflict, an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school shelter has resulted in the deaths of approximately 100 people, according to official statements. T
he school, which had been serving as a refuge for displaced Palestinians, was struck on Friday, marking one of the deadliest incidents since the war began 10 months ago.
The Gaza health ministry reported that the majority of the victims were civilians, including women and children, who had been seeking shelter in the school after fleeing from other parts of the city.
The school, like many others in Gaza, had ceased functioning as an educational institution due to the conflict and was instead being used as a temporary sanctuary for thousands of displaced residents.
Israel has defended the strike, reiterating its longstanding claim that Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas, frequently use civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and humanitarian zones as cover for their operations.
According to the Israeli government, the militants embed themselves within these civilian areas, making it difficult to target them without causing civilian casualties. Hamas and other Palestinian factions have denied these allegations.
Hamas condemned the airstrike as a “horrific crime” and a “serious escalation.” Izzat El-Reshiq, a member of Hamas’ political office, issued a statement claiming that no combatants were among the dead, insisting that the strike targeted only innocent civilians.
The airstrike has drawn widespread international condemnation. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, urged the United States to reconsider its “blind support” for Israel, arguing that this support contributes to the ongoing violence and the deaths of “thousands of innocent civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.
Regional powers, including Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, also condemned the strike. Egypt described the incident as proof that Israel has no intention of ending the war, while Qatar’s foreign ministry labeled it a “horrific massacre.” Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri stated that the strike should mark a turning point in ceasefire negotiations.
In response to the escalating violence, Egypt, the United States, and Qatar have scheduled a new round of ceasefire talks for Thursday. These discussions are seen as increasingly urgent, with growing fears that the conflict could expand further, potentially involving Iran and its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains resolute in his approach, stating that the war will not end until Hamas is no longer a threat to Israel. He announced that an Israeli delegation would participate in the upcoming August 15th ceasefire talks.
While Netanyahu has emphasized the importance of eliminating the threat posed by Hamas, a Hamas official told Reuters that the group is currently reviewing the new proposal for talks, though no further details were provided.
The conflict, which began on October 7 when Hamas fighters launched a deadly incursion into southern Israel, has led to significant casualties on both sides. Israeli sources report that approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the initial Hamas attack, with more than 250 taken hostage.
Since then, the Israeli military response has resulted in nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Most of these deaths are believed to be civilians, though Israel claims that at least a third of the fatalities are combatants. Hamas, supported by Iran, has not released its own casualty figures.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, the international community is watching closely, hoping that the upcoming ceasefire talks may offer a path to de-escalation and, ultimately, peace. However, with the deepening humanitarian crisis and the high civilian death toll, the prospects for a swift resolution remain uncertain.
Reuters
