At least 15 people were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli attacks on two schools in Gaza City on Thursday, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said.
The Israeli military confirmed the attacks on the schools, saying they targeted terrorists from the Palestinian Islamist Hamas militia, which operated command centers near the two schools.
The military said it had taken “numerous measures” to “mitigate the risk of harm to civilians,” including the use of precision weapons, surveillance and other intelligence, the military said.
The information could not be independently verified.
After the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, school activities in the closed coastal area were suspended. Most schools now serve as emergency shelters for people displaced by the war.
About 85% of the population of the Gaza Strip has been forced to flee as a result of the war. Hamas, on the other hand, often uses schools and hospitals to set up command centers and store weapons.
Cyprus ready to assist in evacuation from Lebanon
Meanwhile, officials in Cyprus said the country stood ready to assist in the evacuation of foreign citizens from Lebanon should the looming conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militia escalate.
“We stand ready to help if needed,” government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou told dpa on Thursday.
The embassies of several European Union member states have already contacted the Cypriot government to discuss details of possible evacuations, Antoniou said.
Cyprus, the EU member state closest to the Middle East, has repeatedly served as a hub for relief and evacuation operations during crises in the region.
The flight time from Lebanon to Cyprus is approximately 35 minutes.
Ferries can also be used to take people who want to leave the country to the Cypriot ports of Limassol or Larnaca. People have been taken to safety via these routes several times in recent months.
The evacuation plan, known as Operation Hestia, reportedly involves EU and non-EU member states flying in to pick up their own citizens and family members from Lebanon or Israel and take them to Larnaca or Paphos.
The plan also details where the evacuees will be temporarily housed until they can fly back to their home country.
Fears that a major war could break out in the region have grown recently after the targeted killings of a top Hamas leader and a senior Hezbollah commander last week, prompting Iran and its allies to threaten retaliation against Israel.
