Israeli strike ‘kills 10’ near a Gaza Strip school

Health officials say an Israeli airstrike killed at least 10 people and injured many more outside a school housing displaced Palestinians; This latest round of violence overshadows the fragile US-backed Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement.

Before the attacks, some Palestinians clashed with members of Israeli-backed militias, which attacked the school in an attempt to kidnap some people, medics and residents said.

It was stated that in the midst of the clashes, Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles fired two missiles into the area east of the Maghazi refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip, killing at least 10 people and injuring many others.

It was not immediately clear how many civilians were killed in the attacks, which hit a neighborhood populated mostly by displaced Palestinians.

Eyewitness Ahmed al-Maghazi said that before the militia opened fire, their area was attacked by members of the Israeli-backed militia operating in the area adjacent to the area controlled by Israeli forces.

“Residents tried to protect their homes but the occupation forces targeted them directly,” he told Reuters.

Later on Monday, the leader of one of the Israeli-backed militias said in a video that Reuters could not immediately verify that they had killed five Hamas members.

There has been no comment yet from Hamas, which brands groups operating in areas under Israeli control as “Israeli collaborators”.

An Israeli air strike early Monday killed a Palestinian traveling on a motorcycle in Gaza City and injured a child, medics said.

Israeli forces killed another Palestinian when they opened fire on a vehicle in the center of the settlement, bringing Monday’s death toll to at least 12, medics said.

The Israeli military had no comment on Monday’s three incidents.

Hamas, the Palestinian group that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, and Israel have traded blame over violations of a ceasefire that began in October.

Gaza’s health ministry said at least 700 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began.

Israel says four soldiers were killed by militants in the region during the same period.

The violence comes as Hamas continues to resist laying down its weapons; This is a major hurdle in talks to implement the next steps of US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan for the Gaza Strip.

Hamas’ armed wing on Sunday said discussing disarmament of the group before Israel fully implements the first phase of its peace plan was an attempt to continue what it called genocide against the Palestinian people.

According to Israeli records, 1200 people died in Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

More than 72,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s two-year operation, according to Gaza health officials.

The attack spread famine, reduced much of the strip to rubble and displaced the majority of the population.