At least 24 Palestinians have died after Israeli air raids hit a school and a house in Gaza.
Another night of airstrikes has left deep pain in Gaza, with at least 24 people confirmed dead in two separate attacks by Israeli forces. One of the strikes hit a school in Gaza City where hundreds had taken shelter from the ongoing violence.
The attack on Fahmi Al-Jargawi School happened late Sunday. The classrooms had been turned into makeshift homes, but flames tore through them after the bombing. Local rescue teams pulled out 20 bodies from the school — many of them badly burned — and several were children.
“It was horrible. The fire was everywhere and I saw burnt bodies on the floor,” said Rami Rafiq, a local resident. “My child collapsed when he saw it.”
Israel’s military admitted to carrying out the strike and said it was aimed at what they called a command post for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They also repeated their claims that the militants use civilians as shields.
Rising Global Anger Over Civilian Deaths
The horror didn’t stop at the school. Hours earlier, four people were also killed when an airstrike hit a house in central Gaza City. Among those killed during the school strike was Mohammad Al-Kasih, a top Hamas police official, along with his wife and children.
As footage of the burned bodies circulated online, human rights groups and world leaders raised new questions about how Israel is conducting its operations. The United Nations and the Red Cross have warned repeatedly about the high civilian cost.
Tragedy also struck the humanitarian sector. The Red Cross reported that two of their staff members were killed in a separate strike in Khan Younis. “The level of civilian death is unacceptable,” said the International Committee of the Red Cross, which also renewed its call for an urgent ceasefire.
Meanwhile, in Madrid, 20 countries met on Sunday to look for solutions. Spain’s Foreign Minister asked that arms sales to Israel be stopped if it doesn’t end the strikes. While Israel has slightly eased its aid blockade, only 388 aid trucks have entered Gaza recently, far short of the 500–600 trucks the UN says are needed every day.
The war, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, has now led to the deaths of over 53,900 Palestinians, including more than 16,500 children, according to Gaza health officials. And with more people dying each day, peace still feels far away.
