At least 90 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza City, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. The agency claimed that the school was sheltering displaced individuals amid the ongoing conflict in the besieged Palestinian territory.
The strike, which the agency described as a “horrific massacre,” saw three rockets hit the Al-Taba’een school, with some victims’ bodies reportedly catching fire. The Israeli military, however, claimed the strike targeted a Hamas command and control center embedded within the school, asserting that the operation was carried out with precision.
This latest incident comes just two days after similar airstrikes on two other schools in Gaza City resulted in over 18 deaths. Israel has intensified its military campaign against Hamas, following the militant group’s October 7 attack, which killed nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 hostages taken.
The conflict, which has stretched on for ten months, has drawn widespread international concern, with fears of a broader regional war escalating. Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of prolonging the violence for political gain, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to dismantle Hamas completely.
Calls for a ceasefire have grown louder, with the European Union’s chief, Ursula von der Leyen, urging an immediate halt to hostilities. Meanwhile, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been pushing for renewed negotiations, inviting both parties to resume talks in Doha or Cairo next week to finalize a peace deal.
As the violence continues, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens. The United Nations estimates that over 60,000 Palestinians have fled their homes in the past 72 hours alone, seeking refuge in safer areas of the besieged strip. Despite a brief truce in November, the prospect of a lasting peace remains uncertain, as both sides prepare for further negotiations under intense international pressure.
In the broader region, the situation remains volatile, with Iran-aligned groups, including Hezbollah, increasingly involved in cross-border exchanges with Israeli forces. The killing of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in recent Israeli strikes has further inflamed tensions, raising concerns of a wider conflict engulfing the Middle East.
