Israel claims it struck Hamas command in school in Gaza - Criticism from US
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
Israeli military officials stated that the deadly strike on Gaza City, which has drawn international condemnation, targeted a command and control center of Hamas located within a school and an adjacent mosque, reports Bloomberg.
According to Hamas authorities in Gaza, around 100 people were killed in Saturday’s rocket attack. The agency notes that these figures cannot be independently verified, and Hamas does not differentiate between civilian and military casualties.
US Vice President Kamala Harris previously reproached Israel for civilian casualties while affirming its right to pursue terrorists, such as Hamas.
"Yet again, far too many civilians have been killed. We need a hostage deal, and we need a cease-fire. The deal needs to get done, and it needs to get done now," she told reporters Saturday during a campaign swing in the western US.
The Israel Defense Forces stated that approximately 20 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, including senior commanders, were in the Al-Taba'in school. They used the facility to carry out terrorist attacks, according to an IDF spokesperson.
The spokesperson claims that the strike was carried out with precision munitions and that Hamas' casualty estimates are inaccurate.
Sean Savett, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said that the US is demanding additional details from Israeli officials regarding the strike. The US has also urged Israel to take steps to minimize civilian harm.
European Union's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, expressed horror on social media at the images from the Gaza shelter school, stating, "At least 10 schools were targeted in the last weeks. There’s no justification for these massacres."
Local authorities in Gaza reported that among the dead were women and children who were taking refuge in the school.
Bloomberg notes that this attack is one of the deadliest in the ongoing 11-month war between Israel and Hamas. The high death toll is expected to hinder international efforts to renew ceasefire negotiations between the two sides.
Leaders from the US, Egypt, and Qatar have called for Israel and Hamas leaders to meet on August 15 to negotiate a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip.
