Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School Kills at Least 80, Draws International Condemnation

An Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City early Saturday killed at least 80 people and wounded nearly 50 others, according to Palestinian health authorities, in one of the deadliest attacks of the 10-month Israel-Hamas war. The strike hit the Tabeen school in central Gaza City, which was housing around 6,000 displaced people, including women and children.

The Israeli military acknowledged targeting the school, saying it hit a Hamas command center in a mosque within the compound, killing 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters. However, a top Hamas official denied the presence of militants in the school.

The attack drew widespread international condemnation, with the UN human rights office calling it a "systematic attack on schools" by Israel. The EU, UK, France, and US expressed deep concern and called for a ceasefire agreement to calm soaring tensions in the region.

The strike came as mediators renewed their push for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that over 39,790 Palestinians have been killed and more than 92,000 others wounded since the war began. The conflict was triggered by Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 250 others.