In a devastating incident at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli air strike on a UN-run school has resulted in the deaths of at least 16 people, with dozens more injured.
The school was serving as a shelter for thousands of displaced individuals amid ongoing conflict.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, the commercial vehicle (trotro) that carried out the strike lost control and veered into the traders selling along the road’s shoulders, leading to the tragic accident.
The trotro, with registration number AS 4719-18, was en route from Gbawe Zero when its brakes reportedly failed, causing it to ram into the unsuspecting traders.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike, stating that it targeted Hamas “terrorists operating in structures located in the area of Al-Jaouni School.”
The IDF claimed that the location was being used by Hamas militants as a hideout to conduct attacks against Israeli troops. The IDF emphasized that it had taken “numerous steps” to minimize civilian casualties, including the use of precise aerial surveillance and additional intelligence.
However, local sources reported that the attack specifically targeted a room allegedly used by Hamas police. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with adults and children screaming and running to help the wounded in a street covered in dust and rubble. The upper floors of the school, which is situated near a busy market, were reportedly hit during the attack.
A spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Juliette Touma, expressed deep concern over the incident, calling the claims “very, very serious” and demanding an investigation. She noted that this was not the first time an UNRWA facility had been struck and emphasized the need for accountability.
The tragic event has drawn widespread condemnation. Hamas described the attack as a “massacre” of “defenceless displaced civilians,” asserting that many of the victims were women, children, and the elderly. Video footage from the scene showed the immediate aftermath, with people scrambling to assist the injured amidst the debris.
This attack has occurred amid rising hopes for a potential deal between Israel and Hamas to end the ongoing conflict. Israel has announced plans to send a team of negotiators to discuss a hostage release deal with Hamas. This follows a senior US administration official’s statement that Hamas had agreed to significant adjustments regarding a potential ceasefire.
The strike on the Nuseirat school is not an isolated incident. In June, another attack on a packed UN-run school in the same area resulted in at least 35 deaths. Israel claimed that strike was aimed at a Hamas compound within the school, a claim that was met with skepticism and calls for investigation by UNRWA officials.
The conflict, which has raged for nearly eight months, has seen more than 38,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Israel’s military actions are a response to Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 others.