New Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 13 Palestinians on Wednesday after hitting a school housing displaced families in the northern part of the enclave, Reuters reports, BTA reports.
According to local health authorities, the strike targeted the "Al-Karama" school in the Tufah neighborhood, near Gaza City, with Palestinian journalist Nour Abdu among the victims, local media reported.
The Israeli military has yet to comment specifically on the strike. However, a day earlier, other twin airstrikes on a school in central Gaza also killed at least 29 people, including women and children. The Israeli military said at the time that the strikes targeted a command center of militants operating from the school compound.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the enclave, in the Rafah area, Israeli forces continued to demolish residential buildings after taking control of part of the city near the Egyptian border. Residents and Hamas sources reported that the military was blowing up entire neighborhoods, including homes and infrastructure.
Hamas' military wing, the "Al-Qassam" Brigade, said on Wednesday that it had activated a pre-laid minefield against an Israeli armored column east of Khan Yunis, followed by mortar fire on the same area.
Israeli forces now control approximately a third of Gaza, having displaced much of the local population and built observation towers and so-called "security zones" on the devastated territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that an expanded offensive against Hamas was coming, which could include full control of the entire Gaza Strip and direct management of humanitarian aid. Israeli officials have hinted that Rafah could be designated as a new humanitarian zone, despite the extensive destruction there.
The war broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Since then, more than 52,000 Palestinians - mostly civilians - have died, according to Hamas-run health authorities, and much of the Gaza Strip is in ruins.