Israel Gaza War: More than 100 people were killed and many others injured when an Israeli airstrike hit a school in eastern Gaza being used to shelter the displaced. The school was hit while people were performing morning prayers, Reuters news agency said, quoting the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA. A statement from the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said the casualties were especially high because of the attack during Fajr prayers.
New Strike Targets School in Gaza
This latest attack is among a string of strikes on educational facilities in Gaza. The preceding week saw the targeting of four schools, among them two schools in Gaza City on August 4. These strikes killed 30 people and seriously injured many others. One day earlier, on August 3, an additional strike on Hamama School killed 17, while on August 1, an attack on Dalal al-Mughrabi School left 15 dead.
Israel has stepped up its military offensive of Hamas-occupied Gaza since October last year, destroying buildings, including schools, which it says Hamas uses as command centers. The continuing conflict, launched after a fatal Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, has left more than 40,000 Palestinians dead and much of Gaza destroyed.
Global Appeals for Negotiations Intensify
There have been several rounds of ceasefire talks, but neither side could agree to terms. Entering its tenth month, war has plunged the coastal Palestinian enclave into distress, and there has been no indication of the violence subsiding. World cry after world cry for fresh rounds of negotiation to halt the suffering and loss of life in the region.