GAZA: At least 15 Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed on Wednesday after Israeli airstrikes hit the Abu Hameesa School in northern Gaza, which was sheltering displaced families, according to local health officials.
The attack marks another deadly escalation as Israel continues to ramp up operations across the enclave.
The Gaza media office confirmed that journalist Nour Abdu was among the dead, raising the number of Palestinian journalists killed since the conflict began in October 2023 to 213.
Two additional strikes were reported on the Karama School in Gaza City’s Tuffah district. The Israeli military has not issued an official comment on the school attacks.
This comes just a day after Israeli strikes on another school in central Gaza killed at least 29 people, including multiple women and children. In response to criticism, the Israeli army claimed it had targeted a “command center” allegedly used by militants and described the location as housing “terrorists.”
Meanwhile, heavy fighting has intensified in southern Gaza. In Khan Younis, Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades said its fighters detonated a minefield against an Israeli armored unit and followed it with mortar fire. In Rafah, near the Egyptian border, Israeli forces reportedly continued demolishing homes and expanding their control over the area.
Witnesses and Hamas sources indicated that Israeli forces are establishing surveillance towers and clearing land now referred to by the military as “security zones.” Roughly one-third of Gaza is said to be under Israeli control.
Aid delivery to the territory remains suspended following the breakdown of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in March. The United Nations has warned of a looming famine for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents under the prolonged blockade.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the campaign had entered an “intensive” phase. He indicated that military operations could expand to include full control of Gaza and direct handling of humanitarian aid.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 52,000 Palestinians — the majority civilians — have been killed since Israel launched its offensive in October 2023. As casualties rise and entire neighborhoods are destroyed, concerns mount over Israel’s intentions in Rafah, which it has previously proposed as a “humanitarian zone.”
