The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has expressed strong skepticism about the death toll reported by Hamas following a recent strike on a school in Gaza City. Hamas, the governing body of the Gaza Strip, claimed that over 100 people were killed in the attack, describing it as a “horrific massacre.” However, the IDF asserts that the strike targeted a command room used by Hamas operatives located within the school, where Palestinian children had sought refuge.
The IDF statement highlighted intelligence indicating the presence of at least 20 Hamas operatives, including “senior commanders,” at the site during the strike. “According to a preliminary examination, the numbers published by the government media office in Gaza — which acts as a media arm of Hamas — are exaggerated and do not match the information available in the IDF, the precise munitions used, and the accuracy of the strike,” the IDF said in a statement.
The army reiterated that they targeted the al-Taba’een school complex, situated in Gaza City’s Daraj neighborhood, due to its identification as an “active Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad command room.” The IDF emphasized the use of aerial surveillance before the strikes to minimize harm to civilians, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Following its justification for the strike, the Israeli military accused Hamas of “systematically [violating] international law and [operating] from within civilian shelters, brutally exploiting the civilian population and institutions as human shields for their terror activities.”
Hamas’s media office countered these claims, stating that the strikes occurred while people sheltering at the school were performing dawn prayers, leading to the high casualty count. The Palestinian group maintained that no militants were present at the location.
The international community responded swiftly and strongly to the incident, with numerous countries and world leaders condemning the tragedy.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, expressed horror over the deadly strike, stating, “Horrified by images from a sheltering school in Gaza hit by an Israeli strike, with reportedly dozens of Palestinian victims. At least 10 schools were targeted in the last weeks. There’s no justification for these massacres.”
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy echoed these sentiments, tweeting, “Appalled by the Israeli Military strike on al-Tabeen school and the tragic loss of life. Hamas must stop endangering civilians. Israel must comply with International Humanitarian Law. We need an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians, free all hostages, and end restrictions on aid.”
Iran condemned the attack, calling it “barbaric” and a demonstration that Israel “does not respect any of the rules and regulations of international law and moral and human principles,” as stated by foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani. He characterized the strike as “a clear example of the simultaneous perpetration of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity” by Israel.
France also condemned the incident in “the firmest terms,” stating, “For several weeks, school buildings have been repeatedly targeted, with an intolerable number of civilian victims. Israel must respect international humanitarian law.”
Turkey referred to the attack as a “new crime against humanity,” accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of wanting “to sabotage ceasefire negotiations.”
The IDF’s statement leaves the death toll in the Gaza attack unclear, further highlighting the complex and tragic nature of the ongoing conflict.
