Israeli Airstrikes Target Gaza School, Kill Forty-Nine Palestinians

(MENAFN) At least 49 Palestinians lost their lives in two separate Israeli airstrikes early Monday, hitting a school sheltering displaced families and a residential building in Gaza City and Jabalia, northern Gaza.

Medical officials confirmed to a news agency that the death toll from the strike on Fahmi Al-Jirjawi school in Gaza City's al-Daraj neighborhood, which was serving as a refuge for displaced persons, has climbed to 30.

Following the bombing, a fire rapidly engulfed tents at the site, according to a broadcaster and other local sources.

Graphic videos shared online showed charred bodies, including many children, amid cries and screams as flames consumed the area.

“Charred corpses and the screams of displaced people engulfed in flames were seen and heard from the site,” one report described.

The Israeli military confirmed the attack, alleging that Hamas had transformed the shelter into a "command and control center," though it has not presented any evidence to substantiate this claim.

In a separate airstrike on a home in Jabalia town, northern Gaza, 19 more Palestinians were killed and several others injured, medical sources reported.

Eyewitnesses told a new agency the strike "completely destroyed" a multi-story building where dozens of displaced individuals were living.

Since October 2023, the Israeli military has intensified its offensive against Gaza, rejecting international ceasefire appeals, resulting in over 53,900 Palestinian deaths—most of whom are women and children.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the conflict in Gaza.

Additionally, Israel faces a genocide lawsuit at the International Court of Justice concerning its ongoing military actions in the enclave.

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