Israeli Airstrikes Kill Over 100 in Gaza, Including 27 in School Strike, Say Palestinian Officials
Gaza City – Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday left more than 100 Palestinians dead, including at least 27 people sheltering at a school, according to Palestinian medical officials, as Israel intensifies its offensive to pressure Hamas.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that 14 children and five women were among the victims pulled from the rubble of the school in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City. Dozens more were injured, with several in critical condition.
Nearby in Shijaiyah, over 30 civilians were reportedly killed in strikes on residential homes, according to Ahli Hospital sources.
The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas “command and control center” in Gaza City, claiming measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties. A similar justification was given for a strike on a UN-run shelter the previous day, which killed at least 17 people.
Hamas condemned the attack on the school as a “heinous massacre” of civilians.
As part of its ongoing military campaign, Israel issued new evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza, urging residents to move west and south. Many displaced civilians were seen fleeing on foot or by donkey carts.
“We’ve walked three hours and only covered one kilometer,” said 72-year-old Mohammad Ermana, traveling with his wife. “We search for new shelters every hour.”
The UN reports that approximately 280,000 Palestinians have been newly displaced since Israel resumed its operations following the collapse of a temporary ceasefire.
The Israeli government has announced plans to establish a “security corridor” through Gaza, effectively cutting off the southern city of Rafah from the rest of the enclave. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed Israel’s intention to maintain security control over Gaza and called for “voluntary emigration” of its population — a proposal widely condemned by Palestinians and international rights organizations as forced displacement.
Gaza’s Health Ministry estimates over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with more than half of them being women and children. Israel claims about 20,000 militants are among the dead.
Meanwhile, in southern Gaza, hospitals reported dozens more casualties overnight. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received the bodies of 14 people, nine from one family. The European Hospital also received 19 victims, including five children and a pregnant woman. Ahli Hospital in Gaza City reported 21 more deaths.
Later strikes in the day killed at least six more people in Khan Younis and central Gaza, according to hospital sources.
The Israeli military also announced an internal investigation into the March 23 killing of 15 medics and emergency responders. UN officials say their ambulances were later found buried in a mass grave. Rights groups have cast doubt on the transparency and accountability of such probes.
At the UN Security Council, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour presented a video allegedly showing Israeli forces ambushing a clearly marked emergency vehicle. “This was not a mistake — this was an ambush,” he said.
Netanyahu Visits Hungary Despite ICC Warrant
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Hungary on Thursday, marking his second international visit since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest. The ICC has accused Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes, including the use of starvation as a weapon and deliberate targeting of civilians — charges denied by Israel.
Hungary, a member of the ICC, announced plans to begin withdrawing from the court amid Netanyahu’s visit, potentially shielding him from arrest.
Israeli Strike Reported in Lebanon
In a separate incident, an Israeli airstrike reportedly hit an apartment in the coastal Lebanese city of Sidon early Friday, killing at least two people. Emergency responders retrieved the bodies from the scene. This marks the first such strike on Sidon since a November ceasefire with Hezbollah. Israel has not issued a statement regarding the incident.
