GAZA CITY: At least 50 Palestinian civilians were killed, and hundreds more were wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting two schools serving as shelters for displaced Palestinians amid relentless bombardments on the Gaza Strip. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that the Salah Ad-Din school, operated by the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), and the Martyr Assad Saftawi school were struck by Israeli warplanes and artillery.
The airstrikes, which occurred despite the schools’ humanitarian role, resulted in the tragic loss of around 50 displaced Palestinian civilians, with hundreds more suffering injuries. Ambulance crews attempting to reach the schools for evacuation faced immense difficulties due to the intensive Israeli shelling in the area. The bodies of the deceased and the injured were transported to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the nearby Al-Zaytoun neighborhood.
The assault took place after a seven-day truce came to an end on December 1. The truce, initially established on November 24, was extended twice before collapsing, leading to a resumption of Israeli aggression. Since Friday morning, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in various areas of Gaza due to Israeli airstrikes, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.
The tragic incident adds to the escalating toll of casualties in the region. Since October 7, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported a staggering toll of 16,000 Palestinians killed, including over 6,500 children and more than 4,000 women, with an additional 41,136 wounded.
Israeli Ground Forces Enter Southern Gaza
The Israeli army launched a major military move by deploying dozens of tanks into southern Gaza, intensifying its brutal actions in the besieged Palestinian territory. This move comes despite growing global concern over the increasing number of Palestinian civilian casualties due to Israeli military bombardments.
After previously deploying ground forces in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, Israel has expanded its operations, with the army air-dropping leaflets in southern regions, urging innocent Palestinian civilians to relocate to safer areas.
Witnesses reported the presence of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers near the southern city of Khan Yunis, which is densely populated with internally displaced Palestinians. The military action is part of the Israeli army’s “aggressive” measures in the Gaza Strip.
The military’s move includes attempts to cut off the Salah al-Din road between Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and Khan Yunis, designating it as a “battlefield.” Civilians are warned against traveling in the area due to the heightened danger.
The resumption of the Israeli forces’ full-scale brutal operation follows the collapse of a week-long truce brokered by Qatar, supported by the United States and Egypt. During the truce, Hamas and Israel exchanged hostages and prisoners, but the ceasefire ended, leading to an escalation of Israeli brutalities.
The conflict has left an estimated 1.8 million people displaced in Gaza, representing three-quarters of the population. The Israeli military reported conducting around 10,000 airstrikes, while more than 11,500 rockets were fired at Israel since the conflict began.
The Israeli army confirmed the deaths of three more soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, bringing the total troop deaths to 75. The overall number of Israeli defense personnel casualties stands at 401 since October 7.
