At least 40 people were killed in Gaza on Monday after Israeli airstrikes hit several locations, including a school being used as a shelter. Health workers in Gaza said 25 people died when the school was struck while they were asleep. Many more were injured, and their belongings caught fire during the attack.
The school was located in the Daraj area of Gaza City. It had become a shelter for families trying to escape fighting in other parts of the city. Emergency workers said the building was hit three times early in the morning. Fires broke out inside, and rescue teams found many burned bodies. Some were children. A father and his five children were among the dead.
According to Gaza’s emergency services, more than 55 people were injured in the strike on the school. Many are in critical condition. Rescue teams rushed to take them to hospitals. Videos shared online show people trying to put out fires and carry away victims.
The Israeli military said it targeted the school because it was being used by armed groups. They said Hamas and Islamic Jihad had set up a command center inside the school. The army said this center was used to gather intelligence and plan attacks. Israel claims that these groups often operate from areas where civilians live.
On the same day, another airstrike hit a house in Gaza City. Doctors at Shifa Hospital said that 15 people from the same family died in that attack. Among the dead were five women and two children. Bodies were brought into the hospital wrapped in blankets, and family members came to identify them.
The renewed wave of airstrikes came after Israel restarted its offensive in March. This happened when a ceasefire with Hamas ended. Since then, fighting has continued across Gaza. Israel says it will keep going until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed. The Israeli government also wants all the remaining hostages taken on October 7, 2023, to be returned. There are still 58 hostages, and about one-third of them are believed to be alive.
The conflict began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October last year. During that attack, around 1,200 people in Israel were killed. Most of them were civilians. Fighters from Gaza also took 251 hostages. Some of these hostages were freed during ceasefires or deals. A few were rescued in military raids, and others were found dead.
Since the war began, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry says that over half of the dead are women and children. However, it does not separate civilians from fighters in its numbers. Many of the victims have died in bombings of homes, shelters, and crowded areas.
Israel says that it tries to avoid civilian deaths. However, it also says that Hamas is to blame because it operates in neighborhoods where many people live. The Israeli military often strikes places it says are used for planning attacks, even if those places are homes or schools.
In Gaza, many people have lost their homes. Families are now living in schools, tents, or damaged buildings. With nowhere safe to go, they move from place to place hoping to survive. Food, water, and medical supplies are running low. Hospitals are overcrowded, and some are no longer working. Ambulances often cannot reach people in time because of road damage and ongoing airstrikes.
Governments and aid groups around the world are calling for an end to the fighting. The United Nations has asked both sides to protect civilians. Countries like Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey are trying to mediate a new ceasefire. So far, no agreement has been reached. The situation on the ground continues to get worse.
International organizations are warning of a growing humanitarian crisis. The United Nations says that over 1.7 million people have been forced to leave their homes. Many are living in crowded shelters without clean water, enough food, or medicine. Health risks are increasing, especially for children.
The war has now lasted more than seven months. Every day, more people are killed or hurt. With no peace deal in sight, both Israeli and Palestinian civilians continue to suffer. Calls for a long-term solution are growing, but the violence has not stopped.
