GAZA CITY: At least 17 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and dozens wounded when an Israeli airstrike targeted a school-turned-shelter in central Gaza’s Nuseirat area on Thursday, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
The Israeli military struck the Al-Shuhada school, located in the Nuseirat refugee camp as relentless bombardment continued in Gaza. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the civil defence agency, confirmed the death toll, which was corroborated by Al-Awda Hospital.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defence agency said that more than 770 Palestinians have been killed in the northern part of the besieged territory since Israel launched its current military operation. “Since the start of the military operation in northern Gaza, more than 770 people have been killed, with many still buried under the rubble,” said Bassal.
The Israeli military has intensified its strikes across Gaza. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel’s latest assault, accusing the Israeli forces of attempting to depopulate Gaza, particularly in the north, where the military has focused its operations.
“It has been a year of catastrophe for the Palestinian people, following the Nakba of 1948,” Abbas said in a speech at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. “Genocide and ethnic cleansing are being committed in Gaza, especially now in the north where the occupation forces are starving the population.”
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 42,847 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign since October 7, 2023. Israeli bombardment has also left over 100,000 people wounded in Gaza. In the last 24 hours alone, 55 people were killed in Israeli strikes, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks targeted the only firetruck in northern Gaza, destroying it and halting emergency services in the area. The destruction of the firetruck is seen as a further blow to rescue efforts in northern Gaza, where many remain trapped under debris.
Meanwhile, the BRICS alliance during its summit in Kazan, reiterated its “support for the State of Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations” and reaffirmed its commitment to a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. The alliance continues to advocate for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In Moscow, senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. Following their discussions, Hamas reportedly urged Russia to pressure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to begin negotiations on a national unity government for post-war Gaza.
