The White House said in the evening that “the United States is deeply concerned by reports of civilian casualties in Gaza.” The attack “underscored the urgency of a cease-fire and hostage agreement, which we continue to work tirelessly to achieve,” National Security Council spokesman Sean Chavette said. “We are in contact with our Israeli contacts who said Hamas targeted senior officials,” Chavet said. Washington is demanding more details.
The earlier sharp words came from EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell. “At least ten schools have been targeted in the last few weeks. There is no justification for these massacres,” Borrell wrote on the social network X. “We are shocked by the terrible total number.”
The French Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement. Educational institutions have been repeatedly targeted for weeks. Civilian casualties were said to be intolerable. The Foreign Ministry has urged Israel to abide by international human rights laws. At the same time, it reiterated its calls for the immediate release of all hostages abducted from Israel and an immediate ceasefire.
Killed in an airstrike on Gaza City
The Israeli Air Force said it struck a school building in al-Taraj Tufa in the eastern Gaza Strip, which is said to have been a hideout for Hamas terrorists, on Saturday morning. According to Palestinian sources, dozens of people were killed in the attack.
Qatar has called for a UN investigation
Again the appeals to Israel came from the West – after strong criticism had already been leveled from the Arab world. Qatar’s foreign ministry has called for “independent UN investigators”. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry saw an “unprecedented disregard for international law”. The attack was “clear evidence” of Israel’s unwillingness to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
Jordan’s foreign ministry said the timing of the attack on the school was “symptomatic of the Israeli government’s efforts to prevent and thwart these attempts.” Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, accused Israel of committing a “genocide” against the Palestinians through X.
Israeli army: 19 fighters killed
According to the Israeli military, the air strike targeted a Hamas command and control center in al-Taraj Tufa. The school building served as a hideout for the terrorists. At least 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters were killed, the military said in a statement Saturday evening. This was confirmed by the investigation conducted by the Secret Service. The army also released the names and photographs of the Islamist militants it said had been killed.
Israel and the UN: Statement Against Statement
UN says that Israel is planning to attack schools. Israel denies the accusation and says Hamas uses schools and other facilities for its activities. This contradicts another report, reports ORF reporter Nicholas Wildner.
Before the attack, the military had previously said “a number of measures were taken to minimize the risk of harm to civilians, including the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance and intelligence information”. The Israeli military has again accused Hamas of using civilians as shields. The army said the number of casualties cited by the Palestinian side was much higher.
Palestinians: Refugees and children among the dead
According to Palestinian sources, three rockets hit and killed dozens of people. Many are said to have performed morning prayers at a mosque next to the school. Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Civil Defense Authority, said 93 people were killed and dozens wounded in the attack in the al-Sahaba area. Many of the dead were internally displaced, eleven children and six women.
According to Gaza officials, the school housed about 250 people, half of whom were women and children. The number of victims could not be independently verified, but if confirmed, it would be one of the worst attacks in the Gaza Strip since the war between Israel and Hamas began ten months ago.
Thousands protest for hostage deals
Meanwhile, thousands of people in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities protested for a deal to free 115 hostages held by Islamist Hamas. “Military pressure on Hamas will lead to the death of more hostages,” said a speaker at a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, whose uncle was abducted to the Gaza Strip, Haaretz newspaper reported. The mother of another abductee shouted into the crowd: “This is the last chance to reach an agreement that will save lives.”
According to media reports, further protests took place in Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba and Caesarea in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private villa. Secret negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails have dragged on for months. The United States, Egypt and Qatar are mediating.
