An Israeli airstrike targeted a United Nations-run school in central Gaza on Thursday, reportedly killing dozens of civilians, including women and children. The Israeli military claimed the strike was aimed at Hamas fighters allegedly using the facility as a command post. The incident comes at a delicate moment in ceasefire negotiations mediated by international actors, with both sides presenting conflicting accounts of the attack.
The airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp, which the Gaza health ministry says resulted in at least 40 deaths, has drawn sharp condemnation from Palestinian officials. Ismail Al-Thawabta, the director of the Hamas-run government media office, rejected Israel's assertions, calling them "false fabricated stories to justify the brutal crime it conducted against dozens of displaced people."
Israel's military defended the operation, stating that fighter jets carried out a "precise strike" on a Hamas compound within the school. "We're very confident in the intelligence," military spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said, emphasizing that Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters were using U.N. facilities as operational bases. According to Lerner, the compound housed 20-30 fighters, many of whom were killed in the strike.
Juliette Touma, communications director for the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), confirmed the school may have been hit multiple times but could not verify the death toll. Initial reports from Gaza media and a medical source estimated the death toll at 35-40, including 14 children and nine women.
The timing of the strike is particularly sensitive as it coincides with ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire. U.S. President Joe Biden has been actively pushing for an agreement that would entail the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Despite these efforts, Israel maintains that its primary objective is to dismantle Hamas.
The Biden administration, in a joint statement with several other nations, urged both Israel and Hamas to make necessary compromises to finalize a ceasefire deal. "At this decisive moment, we call on the leaders of Israel as well as Hamas to make whatever final compromises are necessary to close this deal," the statement read.
CIA Director William Burns met with officials from Qatar and Egypt in Doha on Wednesday to discuss the proposal. Despite these high-level talks, there has been no significant breakthrough, according to Egyptian security sources.
President Biden has repeatedly expressed optimism about the prospects for a ceasefire, but these declarations have yet to materialize into a lasting truce. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting domestic pressure to end the conflict, which began on October 7 when Hamas launched a surprise attack, killing around 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages.
The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has led to significant casualties, with more than 36,000 Palestinians reported dead according to Gaza health officials. Israel asserts that half of Hamas's fighting force has been eliminated, reducing the group to 9,000-12,000 fighters, down from an estimated 20,000-25,000 before the conflict began.
As the war continues, the threat of an escalation with Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, looms large. The U.S. State Department has issued warnings about the potential for a broader conflict in the region.
