54 Killed in Israeli Airstrikes Including Strike on Gaza School Shelter

At least 54 Palestinians have been killed in two Israeli airstrikes overnight in Gaza, including a devastating attack on a school housing displaced families, according to the source.

The Fahmi Al-Jargawi School in Gaza City, which had become a refuge for people fleeing violence in Beit Lahia, was struck in one of the incidents. “Flames were everywhere. I saw charred bodies lying on the ground,” said Rami Rafiq, a resident living opposite the school. “My son fainted when he saw the horrific scene.”

The Hamas-run Civil Defence in Gaza reported that 20 bodies were recovered, many of them children, some burned beyond recognition after fires erupted in two classrooms converted into living spaces.

The Israeli military (IDF) stated it had targeted “a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command and control centre.” It claimed the site was being used “by the terrorists to plan… attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops” and again accused Hamas of using civilians as “human shields.”

Video footage from the scene showed the school engulfed in flames and survivors, including children, with severe injuries. Among the dead was reportedly Mohammad Al-Kasih, head of investigations for the Hamas police in northern Gaza, along with his family.

In another attack, 19 people were killed when a house in Jabalia was bombed, according to Dr. Fadel el-Naim of al-Ahli hospital. The IDF has not commented on this particular strike.

These strikes are part of an intensified Israeli offensive in northern Gaza. The military says it struck 200 targets across the enclave in 48 hours in its campaign against “terrorist organisations.”

Tragedy deepened on Friday with the killing of nine children of Palestinian doctor Dr. Alaa al-Najjar in an airstrike on their home. Only one child survived with injuries, along with the doctor’s husband, who remains in critical condition. The IDF has said the case is under review.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross reported the deaths of two staff members in a separate strike, calling it further evidence of Gaza’s unbearable civilian toll and renewing calls for a ceasefire.

On Sunday, Jake Wood, head of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, resigned, saying plans to deliver aid did not meet humanitarian standards. Though Israel has allowed some aid into Gaza, the UN maintains that much more is urgently required.

Efforts to resolve the conflict continue, with 20 nations and organisations meeting in Madrid. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares urged for an arms embargo on Israel if attacks persist.

The war began after Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023, which left 1,200 dead and 251 taken hostage in Israel. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry reports over 53,900 killed, including at least 16,500 children.