On Saturday, a targeted Israeli attack on a central Gaza school serving as refuge for displaced Palestinians led to the loss of at least 16 lives and inflicted injuries to many, according to local authorities. Israel’s forces stated that the Nuseirat strike focused on militants employing the buildings around the Al-Jaouni school for “clandestine and tactical operations” against their troops. Precursors were made to guard civilian safety prior to Saturday’s strike which followed a statement by Israel’s premier Binyamin Netanyahu that the war’s “intense stage” was nearing its end.
Notwithstanding, the Palestinian health division reported the death toll including 50 individuals wounded during the strike, accusing Israeli troops of carrying out a “ruthless massacre”. This attack occurred while peace talks facilitated by Qatar, Egypt and the US, aimed at negotiating a deal to end the Gaza war and release the approximate 120 captives that Hamas retains, are set to recommence in the next week. Previous endeavours to broker an agreement saw multiple failings due to core disputes between Israel and Hamas.
American officials voiced cautious hope regarding the newest discussions, with an upper-level official mentioning earlier this week that a “considerable shift” in Hamas’s stance has created a “significant opportunity”. However, the official warned against expecting any agreement to “materialise within a few days”.
The US, along with other negotiators, holds the belief that reaching a hostage agreement presents the most viable solution to halt the war and diminish escalating regional discord, particularly the frequent border conflicts between Israel and Hizbullah, the Lebanese militant group supported by Iran.
Israel claimed that Hizbullah launched around 20 rockets towards the Lower Galilee area on Sunday morning, resulting in severe shrapnel injuries for one man, according to Israeli paramedics. Israel had begun its attack on Gaza following an assault by Hamas on October 7th, in which militants executed 1,200 individuals and abducted 250 hostages, as per Israeli authorities’ accounts.
However, Israel is facing growing global pressure due to the human toll of their campaign, which, as reported by Palestinian officials, has claimed over 38,000 lives and triggered a humanitarian disaster in the coastal strip.
The ongoing conflict has led to the use of many educational institutions in Gaza as safe havens, as reported by the United Nations. With more than 1.7 million people – equivalent to around three quarters of the local population of 2.3 million – forced to relocate due to the hostilities, these shelters have become critical. Multi-location movements have often been necessitated as the strip underwent progressive sweeps by Israeli forces.
A previous bombardment by Israel on an erstwhile UN school in Nuseirat, which provided refuge to displaced Palestinians in the thousands, resulted in at least 35 deaths and 74 injuries. Nukhba forces, which led the attack on the 7th of October, comprised Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, were specified as targets by Israel. The information is acknowledged to be copyrighted under The Financial Times Limited 2024.