Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza Mosque and School Kill 26, Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli airstrikes on a mosque and a school in central Gaza have killed 26 people, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. The strikes, which occurred early Sunday morning, targeted Ibn Rushd School and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Mosque in Deir al-Balah, both of which were sheltering displaced Palestinians. Dozens more were reported injured.
The Israeli military stated that the attacks were aimed at Hamas militants who were using the mosque and school as “command and control” centers. In northern Gaza, Israeli forces have also moved into the Jabalia area, responding to what they described as Hamas attempts to regroup in the region. As part of this military action, new evacuation zones were announced, and access routes to a humanitarian area were reopened.
Footage from the strike sites, verified by the BBC, shows bodies scattered among the rubble of the mosque and the school engulfed in flames, with injured individuals being evacuated on stretchers. The civil defense agency in Gaza, which is also controlled by Hamas, reported that 21 people died in the mosque strike, while Gaza’s Hamas-run media office noted that at least 93 people were injured overall.
These strikes took place almost exactly one year after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages. Since then, the ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of over 41,000 Palestinians and left more than 97,000 wounded, based on figures from the health ministry. These numbers do not differentiate between civilians and combatants. From September 30 to October 4, 2024, the United Nations, citing reliable data from Gaza’s health authorities, reported 187 Palestinian deaths.
Hamas accused Israel of targeting civilian structures and burying people under the rubble. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), however, emphasized that precautions were taken to minimize civilian casualties, including precision strikes, aerial surveillance, and the gathering of additional intelligence.
The IDF has accused Hamas of using civilian sites like schools and mosques as shields for their military operations, though Hamas denies such claims. Later on Sunday, Israel conducted another strike on a school in northern Gaza, which it described as a Hamas “command and control” center.
In northern Gaza, Israeli forces have also encircled Jabalia as part of a ground operation aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping. The IDF warned that northern Gaza remains a high-risk area and issued updated maps outlining potential evacuation zones. The humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, located in southern Gaza, has been expanded, though it remains smaller than it was in early July.
While Israel has reopened two evacuation routes from the north, media organizations, including the BBC, are unable to independently verify conditions on the ground as Israel restricts access to international journalists.
