Image Credit: Al Jazeera
On Sunday, Israeli forces launched simultaneous airstrikes on the Hassan Salama and Nassr schools in Gaza City, resulting in extensive casualties, primarily among children. The attacks targeted schools that were sheltering displaced Palestinians. Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif, who was at the scene, reported finding pools of blood on the floors and bodies trapped under the rubble.
Witnesses described the horrific aftermath of the strikes. One young man told al-Sharif, “They killed children and old people. They killed women. Only God will save us. What did the children do?” Another man recounted that the schools, used as shelters, were littered with “torn bodies everywhere.” A woman added, “I swear to God, only young children, older people, and girls are living here. No one else lives here.”
The twin attacks resulted in at least 30 deaths, with the majority being children. The Israeli military claimed that the strikes were aimed at Hamas fighters present at the schools. However, the reported high number of civilian casualties, including those sheltered at the schools, has sparked significant concern and outrage.
The assault on the Hassan Salama and Nassr schools has further exacerbated the dire situation for Gaza’s displaced population. Many of these individuals had already been forced to relocate multiple times due to the ongoing conflict.
The latest attacks follow a similar incident the previous day, when an Israeli air raid targeted another school in Gaza City, killing at least 15 people. The continuous bombardment of shelters raises serious questions about the targeting of civilian facilities and the humanitarian impact on Gaza’s vulnerable populations.