Dozens killed in Israeli attack on school in Gaza Strip

HISTORY: Israel attacked a school in the Gaza Strip on Thursday that it said was a Hamas compound.

Israel said it had killed fighters involved in the October 7 attack that sparked the eight-month war.

Media in the Gaza Strip reported that at least 27 people who had sought shelter at the United Nations school in Nuseirat in central Gaza were killed in the attack.

A video obtained by Reuters shows bodies being carried away from the rubble.

Hamas-controlled media rejected Israel’s claims that the school was hiding a command post for the militant group.

The Israeli military said it had taken measures before the Israeli fighter jets attacked to reduce the risk of harm to civilians.

Eyewitnesses said they were surprised by the attack.

“We were sleeping when we suddenly saw a rocket fall on us. There were martyrs on the second floor, and wounded on the first. That was all we saw.”

The attack came after Israel announced a new military campaign in central Gaza in the fight against a group of militants who resort to hit-and-run tactics.

Israel has stated that there will be no cessation of fighting during the ceasefire talks.

On Wednesday, the Hamas leader said the group would demand a permanent end to the war in Gaza and an Israeli withdrawal as part of a ceasefire plan, in an apparent blow to US President Joe Biden’s ceasefire proposal last week.

Washington had said it was waiting for a response from Hamas to what Biden described as an Israeli initiative.

Asked if the remarks were the group’s response to Biden, a senior Hamas official responded to a Reuters text message with a “thumbs up” emoji.

Since a brief, week-long ceasefire in November, all attempts to agree a ceasefire have failed.

Hamas insists on a permanent end to the conflict, while Israel says it is only willing to talk about temporary pauses until the militant group is defeated.