People injured in the airstrikes on Gaza City, including children, were taken to al-Ahli hospital for treatment. EPA
At least 27 people died after an airstrike hit a school in Gaza City. The building, Dar al-Arqam school, was being used as a shelter for displaced families. The strike happened in the Tuffah area, in northern Gaza. The local health ministry confirmed the deaths and said dozens of others were hurt. Many of the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.
The Israeli military said it targeted Hamas fighters. It claimed the strike was aimed at a command center in the city. It did not mention that the target was a school. Officials said they had tried to avoid harming civilians.
But witnesses and rescue workers said women and children were among the victims. A local official said one pregnant woman is still missing along with her family. Videos showed children with injuries arriving at the hospital in cars and trucks.
Later, Gaza’s Civil Defence said 12 more people died in strikes on homes in another part of Gaza City. In one video, rescuers pulled two young children’s bodies from a collapsed building. A man who lived nearby said he was sleeping when a loud blast woke him. His neighbor’s home was hit, and the family inside was killed.
Following these strikes, Israeli forces told people in Shejaiya and nearby areas to evacuate. They warned of more military action in the region. Many residents were seen fleeing on foot or in cars, heading toward western Gaza City.
Earlier this week, similar evacuation orders were given in northern Gaza and the southern city of Rafah. Thousands of families have left their homes to find safety. A UN report said around 100,000 people have been forced to move again.
The military campaign in Gaza started again on March 18. It followed a pause in fighting after a temporary deal to release hostages fell through. Talks for another deal have stalled. The Israeli army says it has now entered a new phase of the war.
An Israeli army spokesperson said they have hit over 600 targets in Gaza in the past two weeks. They claim more than 250 fighters have been killed. But the Gaza health ministry says at least 1,163 people died in the same time, including over 300 children.
Israel's Prime Minister said the army is setting up a new military corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis. He believes more pressure will force Hamas to release the last 59 hostages, some of whom may still be alive.
Hamas has rejected Israel’s latest proposal for a ceasefire. Instead, it supports a plan from Egypt and Qatar that includes a 50-day pause in fighting. The plan involves swapping hostages for prisoners, withdrawing Israeli troops from some areas, and sending in aid. Talks for a long-term solution are also part of that proposal.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces are under investigation for killing 15 Palestinian emergency workers in March. The military said the vehicles did not have lights or sirens and approached suspiciously. But a surviving paramedic strongly denied this. He said all lights were on and no one among them was a fighter.
The war began after a deadly attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023. Since then, Gaza’s health officials report that over 50,000 people have been killed in the territory.
