At least 24 individuals were killed and 93 others injured when Israeli airstrikes targeted a mosque and a school housing displaced persons in the Gaza Strip early Sunday morning, according to the Hamas-run Gaza government's media office.
The strikes, which hit the mosque and the school located near Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, occurred as the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas approaches its first anniversary.
In a statement, the Israeli military claimed it conducted “precise strikes on Hamas terrorists” who were operating within command and control centers located in Ibn Rushd School and the Shuhada al-Aqsa Mosque in Deir al-Balah.
This latest wave of violence in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict was initiated when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 hostages taken, according to Israeli reports.
Israel's ensuing military operations in Gaza have reportedly resulted in nearly 42,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
The conflict has also led to the displacement of nearly all of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents, sparked a hunger crisis, and prompted genocide allegations at the World Court, which Israel denies.
