Israel strikes mosque, school in Gaza, leaving 24 dead

At least 24 people were killed and 93 others wounded in early morning airstrikes by Israeli forces on a mosque and a school sheltering displaced individuals in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run Gaza government media office.

The attacks occurred near Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas nears its first anniversary, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The Israeli military, however, stated that it conducted "precise strikes on Hamas terrorists" located within command and control centers at the Ibn Rushd School and Shuhada Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

This escalation comes nearly a year after the conflict reignited when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of around 250 individuals, as reported by Israeli sources. Since then, Israel's military operations in Gaza have reportedly killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. 

The ongoing violence has displaced almost all of Gaza's 2.3 million residents and has led to a severe hunger crisis, with allegations of genocide against Israel presented at the World Court—allegations that Israel has firmly denied.

By Khagan Isayev