Israel's strike kills mostly children as 27 die in Gaza school
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Israeli airstrikes killed at least 112 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including 27 (mostly children) at a school in Gaza City, according to local health officials.
The strikes marked one of the deadliest days in Israel's renewed offensive, which resumed after a collapsed ceasefire in mid-March.
In the Tuffah neighbourhood, an Israeli bomb struck Dar al-Arqam School, where dozens of displaced families had sought refuge.
Health Ministry spokesman Zaher al-Wahidi said at least 14 children and five women were among the dead, and over 70 others were wounded—many critically.
The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas command centre and claimed it had taken measures to reduce civilian casualties. Hamas condemned the strike as a 'heinous massacre' and accused Israel of deliberately targeting shelters.
Nearby in Shijaiyah, more than 30 Palestinians were killed in separate strikes on residential buildings, al-Wahidi added.
Israel has also ordered new evacuations from parts of northern Gaza. Thousands of civilians, many on foot or using carts, fled their homes under threat of further attacks.
'We've been walking for hours just to find a shelter,' said 72-year-old Mohammad Ermana, moving with his wife as the couple clung to canes.
Overnight raids in the south killed at least 55 people in Khan Younis, including entire families. Hospitals reported five children and four women among the dead at Nasser Hospital, and another pregnant woman among the victims at the European Hospital nearby.
In a separate case under scrutiny, Israel pledged to investigate a March 23 incident in which its forces allegedly killed 15 medics and buried them and their ambulances in a mass grave. UN and Palestinian officials claim the medics were ambushed while trying to reach injured civilians.
Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour told the UN Security Council he has video evidence showing emergency lights were on when Israeli forces struck.
Gaza's Health Ministry says over 50,000 Palestinians have died since the war began, with more than half of the casualties being women and children. Israel says it has killed 20,000 militants, but has not provided independent evidence to support the claim.
The UN estimates that around 280,000 people have been forcibly displaced since Israel resumed operations. Much of Gaza now lies in ruins, and nearly 90% of the population has been uprooted since October.
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