The Hamas-run well being ministry in Gaza says 26 individuals have been killed in Israeli air strikes on a mosque and college housing displaced Palestinians within the centre of the territory.
Dozens of individuals had been additionally injured in strikes that hit Ibn Rushd faculty and Al-Aqsa Martyrs mosque in Deir al-Balah early on Sunday morning, the ministry stated.
The Israeli army stated it had focused Hamas militants working inside “command and management” centres on the websites.
In north Gaza, Israeli forces surrounded the Jabalia space in response to what it stated had been Hamas efforts to rebuild.
The army additionally issued new attainable evacuation zones within the north and re-opened routes to a humanitarian space.
Following the strikes in central Gaza, movies verified by the BBC from the mosque present our bodies and blood on the bottom among the many rubble, whereas footage on the faculty exhibits the construction on hearth and a person being pulled out on a stretcher.
Earlier, the Hamas-run civil defence company stated 21 individuals had been killed and a big quantity wounded within the strike on the mosque, in accordance with the AFP information company.
Sunday’s strikes occurred nearly precisely one yr on from 7 October 2023, when Hamas gunmen attacked Israel, killing round 1,200 individuals and taking 251 hostage.
Since then, 41,870 Palestinians have been killed and greater than 97,000 injured in Gaza, in accordance with the well being ministry. It doesn’t differentiate between civilians and fighters.
Based on the United Nations, which makes use of Gaza well being ministry figures and considers them dependable, 187 individuals had been killed in Gaza from 30 September to 4 October alone.
In an announcement on the strike on the mosque, Hamas accused Israel of “bombing residents’ properties and demolishing them over their heads, ensuing within the deaths and accidents of dozens”.
The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) stated that “earlier than the assaults many steps had been taken to scale back the possibility of harming civilians, together with the usage of precision weaponry, aerial surveillance and extra intelligence info.”
The IDF accused Hamas of “exploiting civilian establishments and the inhabitants as human shields for terrorist acts”.
Hamas has denied utilizing colleges and different civilian websites for army functions.
Elsewhere in Gaza, Israel’s army started to encompass Jabalia within the north in a single day in response to what the IDF stated had been efforts by Hamas to rebuild within the space.
The army stated it had struck “dozens of army targets” earlier than and throughout the floor operation.
The IDF warned the general public that north Gaza is “nonetheless thought-about a harmful fight zone” and revealed a brand new map on Sunday exhibiting zones for potential evacuation within the north.
It additionally stated it had expanded the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, though it’s nonetheless smaller than it was at the beginning of July.
Each the mosque and the varsity hit on Sunday are positioned within the humanitarian zone.
The IDF stated it had re-opened two evacuation routes from the north to entry the zone.
Israel doesn’t enable worldwide journalists from media organisations, together with the BBC, impartial entry to Gaza, making it arduous to confirm the details on the bottom.