At least 29 Palestinians have died and dozens more were injured in an Israeli air strike on a camp for displaced people located near a school in southern Gaza, according to hospital officials. The Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas, reported that the strike occurred next to the gate of al-Awda school in the town of Abasan al-Kabira, situated to the east of Khan Younis city.
The Israeli military claimed that it used “precise munition” to specifically target a “terrorist from Hamas’ military wing.” This individual, according to the military, had participated in the October 7 attack on Israel. The Israeli forces stated they are currently investigating reports that civilians near al-Awda school, which houses many displaced people from the eastern villages of Khan Younis, were harmed during the strike.
This tragic incident comes just a week after the Israeli military had ordered civilians to evacuate Abasan al-Kabira and other areas in eastern Khan Younis. This order led to tens of thousands of people fleeing their homes in search of safety. The BBC interviewed several witnesses who described the area as being crowded with displaced people at the time of the strike. These witnesses recounted the horrific aftermath in graphic detail, noting the widespread destruction and the deaths of women and children. They described scenes where body parts were scattered across the site, and many individuals staying in tents outside the school were injured.
One of the witnesses, Ayman Al-Dahma, a 21-year-old, told the BBC that there had been as many as 3,000 people packed into the area at the time of the strike. He explained that the area included a market and residential buildings, which added to the large number of people present. Al-Dahma described the number of casualties as “unimaginable” and shared his experience of seeing people with severed limbs as a result of the blast. He conveyed the shock and horror of the situation, saying, “They said it was a safe place – that there were water and food, there were schools and everything… Suddenly a rocket comes down on you and all the people around you.”
This event has drawn significant international attention and condemnation, highlighting the ongoing and severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The dense population of the area, coupled with the presence of markets, residential buildings, and makeshift shelters for displaced people, made the strike particularly devastating. The strike not only resulted in immediate loss of life and injury but also further exacerbated the dire living conditions for the displaced population, who had already fled their homes once to seek safety.
The broader context of this incident is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with both sides experiencing significant casualties and destruction. This air strike is part of a series of escalating military actions that have severely impacted civilians. The international community has repeatedly called for de-escalation and a focus on humanitarian aid, but the situation on the ground remains tense and volatile.
As the investigation into the air strike and its impact on civilians continues, the stories of those like Ayman Al-Dahma and the other witnesses underscore the profound human cost of the conflict. The immediate aftermath of the strike, with its scenes of chaos and grief, serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for a peaceful resolution and the protection of civilian lives in this ongoing conflict.
Witnesses said the attack killed women and children.
Mohamed Awadeh Anzeh shared his harrowing experience with the BBC, recounting the moment the strike hit a bustling area filled with people and market traders who were simply “going about their normal lives.” He vividly described the scene, saying, “Suddenly, while we were sitting, there was a sound. It went dark… I was feeding my little child. I don’t know what happened. Suddenly, I took him and started running… and while I was running, I saw blood coming down from my leg.” The sheer terror of the event was evident as he painted a picture of chaos and fear, witnessing body parts strewn across the street.
Adding to the distress, Iqram Sallout reported there had been no forewarning of an imminent strike in the area, which was densely populated with individuals displaced by the ongoing conflict. “There are many displaced people – you couldn’t even walk in the streets, there were many tents and people, including young people,” he told the BBC. The severity of the injuries witnessed was alarming, even among young children, illustrating the indiscriminate nature of the violence.
One particularly shocking video revealed the devastating aftermath, showing more than a dozen dead and seriously wounded people, including several children, lying on the floor of a local hospital. The Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, where the injured from Abasan al-Kabira were taken, reported that they expected the death toll to rise. This incident marked the fourth attack on or near schools sheltering displaced people within a span of four days.
The Israeli military defended its actions by stating that the first three strikes were necessary because Hamas politicians, police officers, and fighters were using the locations as bases. On Saturday, a strike on a UN-run school in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza resulted in 16 fatalities, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. This school had been home to about 2,000 displaced people. The following day, a strike on a church-run school in Gaza City killed a senior Hamas government official and three other individuals, as reported by local sources. On Monday night, another strike on a UN-run school in Nuseirat left several people wounded.
The ongoing conflict began when the Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza aimed at dismantling the Hamas group, in retaliation for an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7. This attack resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages being taken. Since the campaign started, over 38,240 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. The situation remains dire, with a continuous rise in casualties and a growing humanitarian crisis as the violence shows no sign of abating.
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