Palestinian health officials reported that an Israeli strike on a school in central Gaza's Deir al Balah resulted in the deaths of at least thirty Palestinians. In addition to announcing the deaths, the Gaza Health Ministry and the official media office under Hamas also noted that more than a hundred people were injured. The Israeli military claimed the target was a Hamas command center within the Khadija school compound, used for launching attacks and storing weapons.
The Israeli military stated that civilians were warned before the strike on the school, which was in an area heavily populated with displaced families. At Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, ambulances and injured individuals on foot, some with bloodstained clothes, arrived for treatment. Israel's military often blames Hamas for using civilian areas as shields, a claim Hamas denies.
Israeli attacks on Khan Younis earlier on Saturday claimed the lives of at least 14 Palestinians, according to Palestinian state media. Their bodies were brought to the Nasser Medical Complex. The Israeli military had instructed residents of southern Khan Younis to temporarily evacuate to Al-Mawasi for a forceful operation.
The Israeli military reiterated after the school incident that Hamas operates in populated areas, such as hospitals and schools, endangering civilians. The battle in Gaza, where both sides have traded accusations of harming people, has resulted in significant infrastructural damage and countless casualties.
There are constant pleas for humanitarian aid and areas where citizens can feel safe in Gaza, where the situation is still grave. De-escalation efforts have proven difficult because Hamas and the Israeli forces are operating in heavily populated civilian areas.
