Israeli airstrike on Gaza school kills 13

Palestinian rescue teams confirmed that an Israeli airstrike early Monday morning struck a school in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 people.

The attack occurred as Israel continues to escalate its military operations, describing the effort as a renewed push to eliminate Hamas.

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that 13 casualties, referred to as martyrs, along with 21 injured individuals, were recovered from Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School located in the Al-Daraj neighborhood.

The strike took place at dawn, according to the agency’s statement on Telegram.

This latest offensive marks a significant intensification of Israel’s campaign this month, aiming to defeat Hamas more than 18 months after the militant group’s October 2023 assault on Israel triggered the ongoing war.

The escalating conflict has sparked international condemnation, with a nearly three-month-long aid blockade worsening shortages of essential supplies like food, water, fuel, and medicine in Gaza.

On Sunday, Spain’s foreign minister urged for sanctions against Israel during a gathering of European and Arab leaders in Madrid.

Jose Manuel Albares described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as "inhumane" and "senseless," stressing the urgent need for humanitarian aid to enter the territory "massively, without conditions and without limits, and not controlled by Israel."

He called Gaza an “open wound” for humanity.

Spain also called on international partners to impose an arms embargo on Israel and warned that individual sanctions against those undermining the two-state solution should not be ruled out.

The renewed condemnation followed reports from Gaza rescuers that Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed 22 people and injured many more across the territory.

Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence agency, said a strike on a home in Jabalia, northern Gaza, claimed seven lives.

He added that some victims remained trapped under rubble, but rescue efforts are hampered by a lack of heavy machinery and search equipment to safely recover the wounded and deceased.

Two more people lost their lives in an attack on tents sheltering displaced families near Nuseirat in central Gaza, including a woman who was seven months pregnant. Rescue teams reported that doctors were unable to save her unborn child.

Among those killed was Ashraf Abu Nar, the director of operations for Gaza’s civil defence, along with his wife, according to spokesperson Mahmud Bassal.

Additional deadly strikes were reported in several areas, including Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Beit Lahia in the north, and Khan Yunis in the south.

Earlier on Saturday, Gaza’s civil defence agency said an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis killed nine children from one family, whose parents were both doctors.

The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident.

In recent days, Israel has partially lifted the blockade imposed on Gaza since March 2, which had worsened critical shortages of food and medicine across the territory.

COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry unit managing civilian affairs in the Palestinian areas, reported that 107 trucks carrying humanitarian aid from the UN and other international organizations entered Gaza on Sunday.

However, critics argue that this supply is insufficient, pointing out that many aid deliveries have been looted.

The World Food Programme urged Israel to accelerate and increase food assistance to Gaza, warning that hunger, desperation, and uncertainty over aid availability are fueling growing insecurity in the region.

Jake Wood, executive director of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), resigned abruptly on Sunday, stating the organization could not fulfill its mission while maintaining humanitarian principles.

The GHF had aimed to distribute 300 million meals within its first 90 days, but faced rejection from the United Nations and other aid agencies amid accusations of collaborating with Israel.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry reported that since the ceasefire ended on March 18, at least 3,785 people have died in the territory, contributing to a total war death toll of 53,939, mostly civilians.

The conflict began after Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,218 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages, with 57 still held in Gaza.