Israel confirms Gaza school airstrike that allegedly killed dozens, says was Hamas command center

Israel confirmed an airstrike early Saturday morning on what it says was a Hamas command center “embedded” inside a mosque on a school compound.

Palestinian authorities, who were using the school as a shelter, said the airstrike killed 40 people, according to Bloomberg. Defense of Israel forces said an intelligence investigation confirmed the strike killed “at least 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists” and stressed that “numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians” before the attack.

“These terrorists operated to advance and carry out attacks against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel from inside the compound,” the IDF said in a statement at X. “The attack was carried out with three precision munitions, which, according to professional analysis, cannot cause the amount of damage that is being reported by the Hamas Government Information Office in Gaza. In addition, no serious damage was caused to the compound where the terrorists were.”

The White house is “deeply concerned by reports of civilian casualties” from the strike, National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett he said in a statement on Saturday.

“We are in contact with our Israeli counterparts, who have said they targeted senior Hamas officials, and are asking for more details,” Savett said. “We know that Hamas has been using schools as places to gather and operate out of, but we have also repeatedly and consistently said that Israel must take steps to minimize civilian harm.”

The strike “underscores the urgency of a ceasefire and a hostage deal,” Savett said.

Today, the IDF and ISA hit terrorists operating in a Hamas command and control center, which was embedded inside a mosque in the Al-Taba'een school compound. Following an intelligence investigation, it can be confirmed at this time that at least 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad… pic.twitter.com/97fw1Q9cHy

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 10, 2024

Local residents said Palestinians displaced by the war were using the school as housing, as the neighborhood was one of the few remaining in Gaza City that was not destroyed. seconds in the Wall Street Journal.

“The mosque and the first floor were targeted,” said Amro Selim, 22, who lives next to the school, according to the WSJ. “I saw corpses on top of each other, body parts everywhere. Many of them were children and women.”

Fadel Naeem, director of al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, he said Associated Press that the hospital “received some of the most serious injuries we encountered during the war.” Another witness, Abu Anas, told the AP that the attack took place while people were praying before sunrise.

Featured Image: Screenshot/YouTube/AP Archive

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

Katelynn Richardson's latest posts (see everything)

We have zero tolerance for comments that contain violence, racism, profanity, profanity, doxing, or rude behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it, click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for engaging with us in a fruitful conversation.