The Hamas-run well being ministry in Gaza says 26 individuals have been killed in Israeli air strikes on a mosque and faculty 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 mentioned.
The Israeli navy mentioned 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 mentioned had been Hamas efforts to rebuild.
The navy additionally issued new potential 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 reveals the construction on hearth and a person being pulled out on a stretcher.
Earlier, the Hamas-run civil defence company mentioned 21 individuals had been killed and a big quantity wounded within the strike on the mosque, in keeping with the AFP information company.
Sunday’s strikes occurred virtually 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 keeping with the well being ministry. It doesn’t differentiate between civilians and fighters.
In accordance with 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 a press release on the strike on the mosque, Hamas accused Israel of “bombing residents’ houses and demolishing them over their heads, ensuing within the deaths and accidents of dozens”.
The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned 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 faculties and different civilian websites for navy functions.
Elsewhere in Gaza, Israel’s navy started to encompass Jabalia within the north in a single day in response to what the IDF mentioned had been efforts by Hamas to rebuild within the space.
The navy mentioned it had struck “dozens of navy targets” earlier than and through 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 displaying zones for potential evacuation within the north.
It additionally mentioned it had expanded the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, though it’s nonetheless smaller than it was at first of July.
Each the mosque and the college hit on Sunday are positioned within the humanitarian zone.
The IDF mentioned 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, unbiased entry to Gaza, making it exhausting to confirm the details on the bottom.
