The Israeli military has reported that a recent airstrike targeted a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where 20 to 30 militants were believed to be sheltering. The strike resulted in the tragic deaths of at least 45 individuals, as confirmed by Gaza's Ministry of Health. The school, which was being used to house displaced persons, saw casualties that included nine women and 14 children, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital records.
Despite the civilian casualties, the Israeli military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, stated that they were not initially aware of any non-combatant deaths. The military defended the strike as a precision operation aimed at militants using the school to plan and carry out attacks against Israeli forces in the Netzarim Corridor, a critical route in the Gaza Strip.
Lerner emphasized that the strike was intelligence-based and targeted individuals involved in previous attacks against Israeli forces. He mentioned that the IDF had been monitoring the school for several days and had postponed the strike twice to reduce civilian harm. The spokesperson assured that the IDF would release the names of the militants killed once confirmed.
