Gaza’s civil protection service said the school was sheltering displaced people. Hamas condemned the attack in a statement on Telegram, saying “displaced, sick and wounded people, most of them women and children” were killed.
Verified videos from the scene show chaos, with people running around the rubble-covered compound. Men carry two blood-soaked children in their arms, while a woman hugs another, and a group carries an injured man on a stretcher. A body lies on the ground covered with a blanket.
The IDF said that prior to the attack it had taken steps to minimize the risk to civilians, including “the use of appropriate weapons, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”
Gaza’s health ministry said 53 people were killed and 189 wounded in IDF bombardment of Deir al-Balah and the southern town of Khan Younis since Saturday morning.
The attack comes as Israel continues its months-long military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
