Israeli Strike Hits School in Gaza: 36 Killed in Their Sleep

An Israeli airstrike hit a school in Gaza City early Monday morning, which was serving as emergency shelter for displaced families.

According to local health authorities, at least 36 people were killed in the strike, which occurred while most were asleep. A total of at least 52 people lost their lives in several separate attacks on the same day.

School hit three times

The school in the Daraj neighborhood was hit by three missiles, according to Fahmy Awad, the head of emergency services in Gaza, as reported by AP.

Fires broke out, trapping the victims in the flames. “We found a father and his five children burned beyond recognition,” said Awad. Several videos shared online show rescue workers battling the fire and carrying charred bodies away from the ruins.

The Israeli military has confirmed the attack, stating that it targeted a “militant command center” within the school premises.

According to the military, Hamas and Islamic Jihad were using the location to gather intelligence.

Israel maintains that militant groups, not its own army, are to blame for civilian deaths because they operate from residential areas.

A population on the move

The Israeli military resumed its offensive in March after a ceasefire with Hamas was lifted.

The offensive has laid waste to large parts of Gaza and forced roughly 90 percent of the population to flee, often more than once. Many seek refuge in schools, like the one now leveled to the ground.

Another airstrike in the city of Jabalya killed an additional 16 family members, including five women and two children. Hospitals in the area have confirmed the death toll.

Aid under control – and criticism

Meanwhile, Israel is trying to establish a new distribution model for aid through a private organization – the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

The American head of the initiative, Jake Wood, however, resigned the day before the launch, citing that the system is “not allowed to operate independently.”

The organization was supposed to reach up to a million people in Gaza within a few days.

The UN and leading aid organizations have refused to cooperate with the Israeli-backed scheme.

They warn that the model will promote further displacement, worsen the humanitarian crisis, and violate international principles of neutral assistance.

Hamas has also urged the population not to cooperate with the new scheme.

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