Israeli military strikes in the Gaza Strip have killed at least 17 Palestinians, including eight at a school where displaced families in Gaza City were sheltering, medics said, as the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of a hospital in the north.
Palestinian doctors said eight people, including children, died at the Musa Bin Nusayr school, which was providing shelter to displaced families in Gaza City.
The Israeli military said in a statement that the attack targeted Hamas militants operating from a command center located at the school. It said Hamas militants used the site to plan and carry out attacks against Israeli forces.
Also in Gaza City, doctors said four Palestinians were killed in a car airstrike.
At least five other Palestinians were killed in two separate airstrikes in Rafah and Khan Younis, south of the enclave.
Hospital evacuation
In the northern Gaza city of Beit Lahiya, where the army has been operating since October, Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, said the army ordered staff to evacuate the hospital and transfer patients and wounded to another hospital in the area.
Abu Safiya said the mission was “almost impossible” because staff had no ambulances to transport patients.
The Israeli army operated in two towns in northern Gaza, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, as well as the nearby Jabalia camp for almost three months.
Palestinians have accused Israel of carrying out acts of “ethnic cleansing” aimed at depopulating these areas and creating a buffer zone.
Israel denies this and claims that the campaign in the area was aimed at fighting Hamas fighters and preventing their regrouping. It stated that since the start of this operation, its forces have killed hundreds of militants and dismantled military infrastructure.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they killed numerous Israeli soldiers in ambushes during the same period.
Mediators have not yet achieved a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas.
Talks aimed at brokering a ceasefire and the release of hostages between Israel and Hamas have resumed in Cairo, with sources close to the negotiations saying an agreement could be signed in the coming days. Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip express hope that this round of talks will end the war and allow life to resume.
Sources close to the discussions told Reuters on Thursday that Qatar and Egypt had managed to resolve some differences between the warring sides, but sticking points remained.
Israel launched its attack on Gaza after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli records. Israel says about 100 hostages are still being held, but it is unclear how many are alive.
Authorities in Gaza say the Israeli campaign has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians and displaced most of its 2.3 million population. Much of the coastal enclave is in ruins.