28 killed in Israeli airstrike on school in Gaza

At least 28 Palestinians were killed and more than 54 others injured Thursday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced persons in the central Gaza Strip, reported Xinhua, quoting the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on social media platform X that its teams responded to the casualties following the Israeli army's targeting of Rafida School located near the PRCS headquarters in the city of Deir al-Balah.

Medics said ambulance crews and the civil defense apparatus recovered the dead bodies, including children and women, some of whom were dismembered.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said Thursday in a statement that it carried out a "precise strike" targeting militants inside "a command and control center" in the compound of the Rafida School in Deir al-Balah.

The center was used "to plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF (Israel Defense Forces) troops and the State of Israel," the military said.

"Numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence (before the strike)," it said, accusing Hamas of operating from within the civilian population.

The conflict in Gaza, sparked by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that left about 1,200 people dead and around 250 taken hostage, has now entered its second year.

In response, ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza have caused 42,065 deaths and 97,886 injuries, according to figures released by Gaza-based health authorities on Thursday.