Israeli airstrikes on two Gaza shelters kill 17, says Gaza Civil Defense

By Kareem Khadder, Ibrahim Dahman, Lauren Izso and Eyad Kourdi, CNN

(CNN) — Israeli airstrikes on two school buildings in the north of Gaza City killed 17 Palestinians, most of them children, and left at least 63 injured according to Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal on Saturday.

“The schools were targeted a second time with three missiles, resulting in 17 martyrs and dozens of injured individuals who were transported to the Baptist Hospital in the city,” Basal said.

According to Gaza Civil Defense, the schools were being used as shelters for people displaced by violence. Both Al-Huda School and Al-Hamama School, which are adjacent to each other and share the same playground, were targeted, Basal said.

Asked for comment on the airstrikes by CNN, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck alleged terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control center.

“A short while ago, with the intelligence direction of the IDF and ISA, the IAF struck terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control center. In the past, the compound was known as the Hamama school in the northern Gaza Strip,” the IDF said in a written statement sent to CNN on Saturday.

After the initial strike, more than three missiles struck the area in a “double tap” attack, according to Basal.

“The first bombing was unexpected and resulted in a large number of martyrs and injured individuals. While the martyrs and injured were being retrieved, the occupation forces issued a warning that another strike was imminent,” Basal said.

The Civil Defense in Gaza published a list of the names of the killed individuals, showing that at least three of the dead were female.

“Until now we don’t have the final number of the deaths, but the initial number is 17, most of them were children, until now due to the rescue operation we are still unable to give a final death toll,” Basal told CNN in an audio message.

Footage obtained by CNN revealed a grim aftermath, showing the bodies of residents and injured children at the site.

Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza on October 7, after terror group Hamas attacked southern Israel. At least 1,200 people were killed, and more than 250 others abducted in the Hamas-led assault, according to Israeli authorities.

Israeli military action in the strip has since killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians and injured over 90,000, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. As of early July, nearly 2 million people had been displaced in Gaza – almost the entire population, according to figures from the United Nations.

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