Israeli strikes on two schools-turned-shelters in Gaza City killed 11 people, including four children, hospital officials said.
One strike hit the Tabeen School, killing nine, and another targeted Al-Hureyah School, leaving two dead. Both were sheltering hundreds of displaced people.
The Israeli military said it struck Mumin Al-Jabari, a senior fighter with Hamas’ sniper unit. It said he had operated in a room inside the Tabeen School, without providing evidence. The military had no immediate comment on claims that it struck the second school.
The military said Al-Jabari carried out attacks against Israeli troops in Gaza and had stored weapons in the room he was operating from.
At Al-Ahli Hospital, Saeed Abu Salah, who sought shelter in Tabeen School, said the airstrike killed his daughter and granddaughter. He had already lost four of his children since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, including two whose bodies were still under rubble.
“For the millionth time, the Israeli occupation commits crimes against innocent civilians,” he said. Abu Salah held his granddaughter wrapped in a white shroud, while a crying mother nearby held the body of her dead child in her arms.
Associated Press footage on Wednesday showed the collapsed roof at the Tabeen School. Dozens gathered outside, some using equipment and bare hands to pull out bodies from under the rubble. One man carried a dead child covered in a blanket.
The Israeli military said the strike on the Al-Hureyah School targeted Hamas militants hiding among civilians, without providing evidence.
RELATED STORY | Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire holds as people return home in southern Lebanon
