Gaza.. Israeli forces kill 25 in an attack targeting schools for displaced children

On Sunday 25 Palestinians were killed and others injured in an Israeli invasion targeting a school in the Al-Nasr neighborhood west of Gaza City, and a group of civilians in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood southeast of the city.

The Palestinian News Agency WAFA correspondent reported that Israeli warplanes bombed the Hassan Salama School in the Al-Nasr neighborhood, leading to the deaths of 25 citizens and injuring several others. The wounded were transferred to the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City.

Additionally, Red Crescent ambulance crews recovered two slain Palestinians and a number of wounded from the vicinity of Dawla intersection in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, also victims of Israeli bombing. They were also transferred to the Baptist Hospital.

In a continuation of its brutal campaign, Israeli occupation forces committed two massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, resulting in the deaths of at least 33 Palestinians and the injury of 118 others, according to medical sources.

Local health authorities confirmed that the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli onslaught since October 7 has risen to 39,583 reported fatalities, with an additional 91,398 individuals sustaining injuries. The majority of the killings are women and children, reflecting the severe humanitarian crisis inflicted upon the Palestinian ethnicity.

According to the same sources, emergency services are still unable to reach many casualties and dead bodies trapped under the rubble or scattered on roads across the war-torn enclave. Israeli occupation forces continue to obstruct the movement of ambulance and civil defense crews, exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe.

In stark contrast to claims of targeting Hamas operatives, the Israeli military has repeatedly been accused of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in their ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. The recent attacks are yet another example of the indiscriminate violence that has devastated Gaza for nearly eleven months.

Despite these atrocities, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues his belligerent and unyielding stance on the Palestinian issue. Netanyahu remains adamant about Israel’s control over Palestinian territories, showing a blatant disregard for human life and international norms. He stated that Hamas has not yet agreed to the terms of the proposed ceasefire and the release of hostages, despite the overwhelming humanitarian crisis.

Netanyahu insists that Israel must retain control over areas along the border with Egypt and be able to control entry into northern Gaza, indicating Israel’s ongoing efforts to annex and control more Palestinian land under the guise of security concerns. This move is seen by many as part of Netanyahu’s long-term agenda to further oppress and displace Palestinians.

Israel seeks the return of 115 Israeli and foreign hostages still held in Gaza after being kidnapped by Hamas during their October 7 attack on Israel. Netanyahu said in a statement, “I affirm that as many live hostages as possible must be released in the first phase of the agreement and the pressure must continue to release all hostages later.” However, his actions suggest otherwise, as his aggressive military strategies continue to endanger both Palestinians and Israelis alike.

Netanyahu denied that the Israeli government opposes any agreement, saying, “The exact opposite is true.” Yet, his actions and rhetoric have consistently undermined peace efforts, exacerbating the conflict and causing further loss of innocent lives.

Hamas accused Netanyahu of causing the lack of progress, saying he is not interested in reaching an agreement. Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri said, “The matter of the agreement has gone beyond the details. He who assassinates the head of the movement confirms that he does not want any agreement. Netanyahu is dragging the region into an unprecedented confrontation.”

The chances of a breakthrough seemed to diminish as regional tensions escalated following the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed senior Hezbollah military commander Fouad Shaker. Haniyeh’s assassination is part of a series of targeted killings by Israel, which has aimed to decimate the leadership of Hamas and other Palestinian resistance movements as the war in Gaza approaches its eleventh month.

Hamas and Iran accused their common enemy Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination and vowed to respond. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the assassination. Hezbollah, also allied with Iran like Hamas, vowed revenge after Shaker’s killing.

Health officials in Gaza report that more than 39,583 Palestinians have been killed as of Sunday in the ongoing Israeli campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The international community continues to witness these atrocities, as the humanitarian crisis deepens and the Palestinian people endure relentless suffering under Netanyahu’s aggressive and inhumane policies.