The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate with tragic consequences for civilians. On Saturday, an Israeli airstrike on a school in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City resulted in the deaths of at least 22 people, including numerous women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry stated that an additional 30 individuals sustained injuries in the attack. While the Israeli army asserted that it targeted a Hamas command center located within the former school building, the incident has ignited widespread concern about civilian casualties in the conflict.
Graphic images captured by The Associated Press depict the devastating aftermath of the strike. Dozens of people, including children, could be seen digging through the rubble of the collapsed building. Shrouded bodies lay scattered amidst the debris, and mourners expressed their grief for loved ones lost in the attack. Ferial Deloul, a displaced resident, recounted witnessing the strike, saying, “A missile, a missile from the plane hit us, and another missile. We saw the whole world covered with smoke and stones and we saw people and children cut up. … What should we do? What is our fault for this to happen to us?”
The Israeli military defended its actions, stating that it had taken precautions to minimize civilian harm by employing precision munitions and aerial surveillance. They claimed the targeted building had previously served as a school before being utilized as a Hamas command and control center. However, the incident underscores the deeply contested narratives surrounding the use of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Both sides accuse the other of operating from within schools, hospitals, and other civilian facilities.
This is not the first time a school has been struck in the conflict. Earlier this month, an Israeli strike on a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp resulted in the deaths of 14 people, according to Palestinian medical officials. The Israeli military justified its action by claiming it targeted Hamas militants who were planning attacks from inside the school. In July, an airstrike on a girls’ school in Deir al-Balah killed at least 30 people. Israel asserted that it targeted a Hamas command center used to direct attacks against its troops and store weapons.
The conflict’s roots lie in the October 7th attack by Hamas-led fighters on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The attack also involved the abduction of 250 individuals, with around 100 hostages remaining in Hamas’s custody. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has claimed the lives of at least 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
Adding to the escalating tensions in the region, an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb in Lebanon on Friday resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, including civilians. The attack targeted Ibrahim Akil, who led Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, and Ahmed Wahbi, a senior commander in the group’s military wing. The strike came hours after Hezbollah launched a significant bombardment of northern Israel, one of the most intense in nearly a year of fighting. Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted most of the rockets. In response, the Israeli military stated it had struck over 400 rocket launchers in Lebanon on Saturday.
On Saturday night, tens of thousands of Israelis participated in demonstrations in Tel Aviv and other locations across the country. The protests, held every Saturday night, demanded a ceasefire and the return of the hostages held in Gaza. The protests drew similar crowds compared to previous weeks, despite the heightened security situation on Israel’s northern border.
The ongoing conflict raises critical questions about the humanitarian impact of the escalating violence and the urgent need for a resolution to bring an end to the suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire.
