The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) earlier on Saturday said it carried out an airstrike on a school in Gaza City, claiming it housed fighters from the Palestinian movement Hamas.
"A short while ago, directed by IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF precisely struck Hamas terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control center embedded in the Al-Taba’een school and located adjacent to a mosque in Daraj Tuffah, which serves as a shelter for the residents of Gaza City. The command and control center served as a hideout for Hamas terrorists and commanders, from which various attacks were planned and advanced against IDF troops and the State of Israel," it said.
The IDF said that prior to the strike, "numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and intelligence information."
Media later reported that the Israeli army attacked the school during the morning prayers of displaced Gazans sheltering there.
On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. In addition, Hamas fighters infiltrated the border areas, opened fire on the military and civilians and took more than 200 hostages. Israeli authorities say that about 1,200 people were killed during the raid. In retaliation, the IDF launched Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip. The death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has exceeded 39,700, according to the enclave's health ministry.