In Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike targeted a school housing displaced individuals, resulting in at least 12 deaths, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency. The attack, which occurred at the Mustafa Hafiz School, also left 15 people injured. The Israeli military, however, stated that the strike was aimed at a Hamas command center.
Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense, reported that the bomb struck the second floor of the school building, which had been sheltering thousands of displaced residents. In contrast, the Israeli military claimed the strike was a “precise operation” against Hamas militants using the school as a base for attacks on Israeli forces.
This incident follows an earlier Israeli strike on the Al-Tabieen School in Gaza City earlier this month. The Israeli military claimed that 31 militants were killed, while Gaza’s civil defense agency reported 93 civilian casualties. The recent strikes have intensified as the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7 following an attack on southern Israel by Palestinian militants, continues.
In a separate development, the Israeli military announced the recovery of six hostages’ bodies from Gaza’s Khan Younis district. The hostages included Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Perry, and 79-year-old Avraham Munder, who was previously reported dead by his kibbutz of Nir Oz. Munder had been abducted by Hamas militants along with his family on October 7. His wife, daughter, and grandson were released during a brief truce last November. The Israeli military and Shin Bet, the internal security agency, conducted the operation that led to the recovery of the hostages’ bodies.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum commended the recovery of the bodies but urged the Israeli government to secure the return of remaining hostages through negotiations. The forum called for transparency regarding the internal impact assessment of the ongoing conflict.
Amidst these developments, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Cairo, negotiating a potential ceasefire and seeking progress on a hostage release deal. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has emphasized the need for a broader international recognition of the Palestinian state as part of a lasting solution. Blinken is also expected to meet with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha as part of the ceasefire discussions.
Blinken has expressed urgency in reaching a resolution, describing the proposed ceasefire as a potential “last chance” to end the conflict.
