UPDATE - 15 killed in Israeli airstrike on school sheltering displaced people in Gaza

UPDATES WITH CASUALTIES, REVISES TITLE, DECK, LEDE, EDITS THROUGH

By Muhammed Majid

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - At least 15 people were killed and more than 70 others injured on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Al-Fakhoura School in Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp.

"An Israeli airstrike targeted a school serving as shelter for Palestinian refugees in Jabalia, resulting in 15 deaths and 70 injuries," Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told Anadolu.

Earlier on Saturday, the Palestinian Interior Ministry said “a number of Palestinians were killed and several others injured in an (Israeli) occupation airstrike on the Al-Fakhoura School, which was serving as a shelter for thousands of displaced Palestinians in the western part of the Jabalia (refugee) camp."

The Al-Fakhoura School, administered by the UN agency for Palestine refugees or UNRWA, has housed thousands of displaced due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which is nearing the 30-day mark.

The bombing took place amid Israel's relentless attacks on Gaza targeting civilian objectives and infrastructure, though such attacks are normally violations of the rules of war.

The latest strikes include an attack on more school housing, displacing people in the northern Gaza City, targeting two ambulances, and hitting the vicinity of three hospitals, resulting in casualties. Additionally, a water reservoir in eastern Rafah was recently hit.

The Israeli army this week expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a surprise offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 9,488 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, while the Israeli death toll has topped 1,500, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ziad Aslan in Ankara