At least 31 Palestinians, including more than a dozen children, were killed and over 100 wounded when Israeli airstrikes struck two schools sheltering displaced families in central Gaza, according to medical officials at Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.
The first strike occurred late Monday evening, targeting Abu Hameesa School in eastern Bureij refugee camp.
A local witness told Al Manassa that the Israeli army sent a warning via phone to a resident in Bureij camp, instructing them to evacuate their home and nearby houses in preparation for a strike on a house close to Abu Hameesa School. The warning prompted residents to flee to the school and an adjacent facility. About 15 minutes later, an Israeli warplane struck the school directly with two missiles.
"Bodies and limbs were scattered everywhere because the school was overcrowded," the witness told Al Manassa. "Some corpses were thrown onto the rooftops of nearby homes by the force of the blast. The army used the warning call to deceive us, then bombed the very place we sought shelter in. They showed no regard for the women or children."
Gaza's government media office condemned the strike, saying in a WhatsApp statement that the attack killed 22 people and injured 52 others. It described the bombing as part of a broader campaign of "genocidal warfare" by Israeli forces ongoing since October 2023.
The statement added that Israel has targeted 234 shelter centers since the war began, in what it called a "blatant violation of international humanitarian law."
The Israeli occupation army claimed the first strike targeted a Hamas "command and control center" used to store weapons and plan attacks. It said steps were taken to minimize civilian casualties.
Roughly three hours later, as survivors tended to the wounded and mourned the dead, a second wave of airstrikes hit the same school and another nearby facility. Nine more civilians were killed and 50 others wounded, including at least 10 in critical condition, according to hospital sources.
"People were saying goodbye to their children, then suddenly it was another massacre," a witness said. "Children who had survived the first bombing were in shock."
In a series of additional airstrikes across central and southern Gaza, civilians were killed in scattered attacks on homes and makeshift shelters. The most recent strike, early Wednesday, hit a tent housing displaced families near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, killing at least three people, including a child.
In Khan Younis, airstrikes destroyed two homes, killing at least two adults and injuring several others. Witnesses said two children remained missing under the rubble, and no advance warning was issued. In another strike, four members of one family were pulled from the debris, all surviving with varying injuries.
Rescue teams were still searching for missing persons late into the night. At least six bodies from several strikes, including one on a displaced persons camp in Al-Mawasi, were transferred to Nasser Medical Complex.
In a related development, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced the arrest of two Hamas fighters during a ground operation in the Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah several weeks ago. According to him, one of the fighters was involved in the Oct. 7 attacks and held hostages later freed, while the other served as a sniper unit commander.
Both detainees reportedly provided intelligence on key Hamas infrastructure in the area, according to Shin Bet interrogators.
Hamas continues to hold 59 individuals in Gaza. According to the Israeli occupation army, 35 of the captives have been killed, 22 are still alive, and the fate of two remains unknown. Among those held are five U.S. nationals.
Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, ending a ceasefire that began on January 19. The truce, which was expected to result in the release of all hostages and a full Israeli withdrawal, collapsed when Israel refused to implement its terms.
