ALWAGHT- At least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured when the Israeli military attacked a school in Gaza City, marking the eleventh deadly strike on schools in the war-torn region in August alone.
According to Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense agency, the victims' bodies, including those of children, were recovered from the Mustafa Hafiz School after an Israeli plane bombed the second floor, where thousands of displaced people were sheltering.
The Israeli military stated that it targeted fighters in the school who were sheltering among Palestinian refugees.
Throughout the war, Israel's military has repeatedly struck civic infrastructure in Gaza, including schools housing displaced individuals, often justifying the attacks by claiming, without evidence, that the locations are connected to Hamas to deflect international criticism.
Earlier, some media outlets reported that the school attack had claimed the lives of at least 20 people.
The bombing of the Mustafa Hafiz School follows a series of at least 10 Israeli strikes on Gaza schools since the beginning of this month, which have resulted in nearly 180 Palestinian deaths.
The deadliest of these school attacks occurred on August 10 at the Al-Tabieen School in Gaza City.