The Israeli army has attacked a school near the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, killing at least 30 Palestinians and wounding more than 100, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Telegram that a Hamas command and control center had been established in the Khadija school.
According to the IDF, Hamas used the complex as a hideout to plan and carry out attacks and store weapons.
Gaza’s health ministry said footage showed the victims were civilians and most were children. The BBC verified a video showing children among the victims.
Gaza’s Civil Defense Service reported that the school was hosting displaced people.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that 53 people have been killed and 189 wounded by Israeli army bombardments in Deir al-Balah and the southern town of Khan Younis since Saturday morning.
The attack came as Israel continues its months-long military campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.
The attack on Deir al-Balah was reported as the Israeli military on Saturday morning ordered civilians in the southern parts of Khan Younis to evacuate to a “dedicated humanitarian area” in al-Mawasi, a region along the coast.
The IDF said it was poised to “operate with force” after reports of “significant” rocket fire toward Israel from southern Khan Younis and “precise intelligence indicating that Hamas has embedded infrastructure” in the humanitarian area. The Israeli military warned civilians that “remaining in this area has become dangerous.”
The IDF released maps showing a further reduced humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi. The military reduced the zone on Monday when it ordered the evacuation of part of the humanitarian zone ahead of an operation against Palestinian fighters who had apparently regrouped there.
Following the evacuation orders, the Gaza Ministry of Health said At least 70 people were killed by Israeli strikes around Khan Younis.
