Israeli Strike Devastates Gaza School Shelter
An Israeli air strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City has reportedly killed dozens of Palestinians, according to health officials and aid workers. The attack on the Fahmi Al-Jargawi School occurred overnight, striking classrooms where hundreds of people from areas under intense military assault were seeking refuge.
Medics and officials reported that at least 36 people were killed in the school strike alone. These victims included women and children who were reportedly sleeping when the building was hit. Overall, at least 54 Palestinians died in Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight, hospital directors told reporters.
Witnesses described a scene of horror following the strike. Video footage shared online showed large fires engulfing parts of the school. Emergency crews arriving at the site found three classrooms ablaze. Paramedics faced intense heat and rubble, struggling to reach survivors trapped inside. One paramedic recounted finding dozens of bodies, many severely burned, primarily children. Due to severe shortages, multiple bodies often had to be placed in a single body bag.
A five-year-old girl named Ward Al-Sheikh Khalil was among those rescued, found trapped under hot rubble after the fire. Her harrowing story, including video of her rescue attempts, highlighted the devastating impact on families. Ward’s mother and five of her siblings, aged between two and 18, were killed in the strike while they slept. Her father and another brother sustained critical injuries. A witness described the scene as finding people “all charred and cut up” and lamented that there is no safety anywhere in Gaza, even in places designated as shelters.
IDF Claims Command Center Target
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the strike targeted “a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command and control centre” located within the school area. The IDF claimed the site was used by militants to plan attacks against Israeli civilians and troops, and accused Hamas of deliberately operating within civilian areas and using the Gazan population as human shields. However, some reports noted that the IDF did not provide specific evidence for the school being used for military purposes at the time of the strike. An IDF official commented that Hamas had lost significant assets and infrastructure in recent operations.
Other Deadly Strikes Amid Escalation
The school attack comes as part of a broader Israeli offensive that has recently escalated in northern Gaza. In a separate incident the same night, a strike on a house in Jabalia in northern Gaza reportedly killed 19 people, including at least 16 members of a single family, according to local health officials.
These recent attacks add to a mounting civilian death toll. Just days prior, an Israeli strike on the home of a Palestinian doctor in Gaza reportedly killed nine of her ten children, aged between a few months and 12 years old. Her husband was critically injured. The Israeli military has stated that this specific incident is under review. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also reported that two of its staff members were killed in a strike on their home in Khan Younis, using their deaths to highlight the “intolerable civilian death toll” in Gaza and reiterate calls for a ceasefire.
The IDF stated it had hit approximately 200 targets across Gaza in the preceding 48 hours as part of its continued operations against what it calls “terrorist organisations.” Palestinian militants also reportedly fired several projectiles from Gaza, though most fell short or were intercepted.
Stalled Ceasefire Efforts and Aid Controversy
Amidst the ongoing violence, diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire appear stalled. A senior Hamas official recently claimed the group had agreed to the latest proposal presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff. However, Witkoff reportedly stated that what he saw was “completely unacceptable” and not the plan he had proposed. A Palestinian official familiar with the talks outlined the Hamas-agreed plan, including the release of 10 Israeli hostages in exchange for a 70-day truce, gradual Israeli troop withdrawal, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli media, citing anonymous officials, suggested the plan would be rejected by Israel.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with warnings of famine. After imposing a nearly three-month blockade that severely restricted aid flow, Israel recently allowed a limited amount of humanitarian assistance into the territory. However, aid groups and the UN maintain that the current levels are vastly insufficient, estimating that between 500 to 600 lorries per day are needed, compared to the 107 that entered on a recent Sunday.
A controversial new aid distribution system, supported by the US and Israel and managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has begun operations. The GHF, composed of former officials, plans to use private security firms at distribution hubs and aims to reach a million Palestinians quickly. However, this system faces a boycott from the UN and major aid groups, who argue it violates humanitarian principles by giving a warring party control over aid distribution, could cause further displacement, and is based on unsubstantiated claims by Israel that Hamas systematically diverts aid (a claim Hamas denies). The executive director of the GHF recently resigned, citing concerns that the organization would not be permitted to operate independently. Hamas has warned Palestinians against cooperating with the new system, viewing it as serving Israeli objectives beyond humanitarian relief, including potential facilitation of Israel’s controversial plan for the “voluntary migration” of Gazans.
Wider Tensions
The conflict continues to have wide-ranging impacts. In Jerusalem, ultranationalist Israelis held an annual march marking the 1967 capture of east Jerusalem, during which some participants reportedly chanted “Death to Arabs” and harassed Palestinian residents. A small group, including an Israeli lawmaker, also reportedly entered the largely empty compound of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which Israel has sought to ban.
The current conflict began after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Israel’s subsequent military offensive in Gaza has caused widespread destruction and displacement, forcing around 90% of the population to flee their homes, often multiple times. According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 53,939 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict, including at least 16,500 children. The ministry’s count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
References
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz9yjj54v3xo
- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israeli-strikes-kill-52-in-gaza-including-dozens-in-a-shelter-medics-say
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9yjj54v3xo
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israeli-strike-gaza-school-1.7543529
- https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-05-26-2025-6a7285f144a3619e8239138e6883b3b6
