Hamas condemns Israeli attack on school sheltering displaced people in Gaza

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Palestinian group Hamas condemned on Saturday the Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip that killed at least 30 people and wounded many more.

In a statement, the group said the Israeli army is showing "total disregard for humanitarian principles" by striking a site meant to be a “safe place for displaced persons.”

Hamas described the bombing as a “brutal act that underscores the Israeli army’s detachment from basic human values.”

It highlighted that these “massacres” occur while "Zionist war criminals, who have surpassed the bounds of fascism, are not held accountable."

The movement urged the international community and the UN to "break away from their current policies and compel the occupation forces to cease their crimes against civilians in Gaza."

The Israeli army, for its part, admitted targeting a school in Deir al-Balah, alleging it housed a Hamas leadership command and control complex.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

Besides killing more than 39,000 Palestinians since then, the military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi