Israel's army says it has once again attacked a school compound belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in order to take action against a Hamas cell.
Members of the terrorist organization had used a container on the school grounds in the al-Shati refugee camp in the northern part of the coastal strip as a meeting place for their activities, the military announced on Friday. They had also planned attacks there.
Terrorists were killed in the air strike, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. It did not initially say exactly how many people were killed.
The information provided by the military could initially only be partially verified. Eyewitnesses confirmed an Israeli attack on the container to dpa. There had been several casualties. There were initially no reports of civilian casualties.
"Hamas systematically, intentionally and strategically places its infrastructure and operates from within civilian areas, in full violation of international law and while putting the lives of Gazan civilians at risk," the IDF wrote on the social media platform X.
On Thursday the IDF attacked a school building in the Gaza Strip in which it said 20 to 30 members of terrorist groups were present. According to the Palestinian authorities, at least 30 people were killed, including women and children. Hamas spoke of 40 dead.
Since the war began in October, many internally displaced people have sought refuge in UN schools.
Israel's army has been heavily criticized internationally for its actions in the Gaza war. Attacks on civilian facilities in particular are highly controversial.
Meanwhile there have been no updates as to whether Hamas has accepted a recent proposal for a ceasefire and hostage deal.
Qatar, which is mediating talks to forge a deal between Israel and Hamas, said late Thursday that the Palestinian Islamist group has yet to respond to a recent proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release.
In one small positive sign, the US military said on Friday that it had repaired the temporary pier on the coast of the Gaza Strip that was damaged in rough seas at the end of May.
The structure enables the continuation of deliveries of urgently needed humanitarian aid for Gaza residents, regional command Centcom announced Centcom said.
The Pentagon had already held out the prospect earlier this week that the pier anchored on the coast would be repaired in the course of this week and that aid deliveries could then be resumed.
The pier was severely damaged in rough seas just a few days after the completion of the temporary harbour. Due to strong waves, four US military ships anchored in the area broke free from their moorings.
There had also previously been problems with the distribution of aid supplies. The Pentagon said at the time that some lorries had been "intercepted."
Under the provisional arrangement, freighters will initially bring aid supplies from Cyprus to a floating platform a few kilometres off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
The goods are then loaded onto smaller ships that can sail closer to the coast. These then dock at the temporary pier attached to the coast. There, the supplies are received by aid organizations and then distributed in the Gaza Strip by lorry.
