Israeli airstrikes on Saturday claimed 17 lives in Gaza, including seven people sheltering at a UN school and the mayor of Deir el-Balah, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.
Civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal reported that the Al-Majida Wasila school in western Gaza City was struck, killing seven, including women and children, and injuring at least 10. The school, operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, served as a shelter for displaced families amid the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli military said the school housed a Hamas command and control center, describing those targeted as “Hamas terrorists.”
In central Gaza, Israeli forces struck the town hall in Deir el-Balah, killing Mayor Diab Al Jaro and nine others. The Israeli military accused Jaro of being a member of Hamas’s military wing and confirmed the strike was part of broader operations in the area.
The conflict, ignited by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,208 people, continues to devastate Gaza. Over 44,930 people, primarily civilians, have died in the Israeli retaliatory campaign, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The United Nations has deemed these figures credible, with much of Gaza’s population displaced, facing unsafe shelter conditions.
Israeli Airstrikes Kill 17 in Gaza, Including Mayor and Children
