by Temitope Oladeji
26/5/2025
An Israeli airstrike targeting a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza has killed at least 20 people and left dozens injured, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.
The attack struck the Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, with medics confirming that many of the victims were women and children.
The Israeli military stated the strike was aimed at what it described as a command and control center used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives.
The facility, it claimed, was embedded within the former “Faami Al Jerjawi” school building.
The military asserted that “numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians,” while emphasizing that “key terrorists” had been targeted.
Despite growing international pressure and repeated warnings of a looming famine in Gaza, Israel continues its military campaign and partial blockade.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated last week that Israel intends to maintain control over the entire Gaza Strip.
Over the weekend, rescue teams struggled to retrieve bodies from the rubble of multiple Israeli strikes across the territory.
In Jabalia, northern Gaza, seven people were reported killed in a residential building, with others still trapped beneath the debris.
A civil defense spokesman noted that their teams lack the necessary equipment to conduct proper search and recovery operations.
Elsewhere in central Gaza, two more people, including a woman who was seven months pregnant, were killed in a strike targeting tents sheltering displaced families near Nuseirat. Doctors were unable to save her unborn child.
The victims also included Ashraf Abu Nar, the director of civil defense operations in Gaza, and his wife.
Additional fatal strikes were reported in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Beit Lahia in the north, and the southern city of Khan Younis.
The civil defense agency said that an Israeli attack in Khan Younis killed a couple’s nine children. The Israeli military has stated it is reviewing those reports.
Israel has recently eased its blockade, first imposed on March 2, which had severely restricted the flow of food and medical supplies.
COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body responsible for coordination in the Palestinian territories, reported that 107 aid trucks from the United Nations and other international organizations entered Gaza on Sunday.
However, humanitarian agencies argue that the current level of aid is insufficient. Many trucks are reportedly looted before reaching their destinations.
The World Food Programme warned that widespread hunger, mounting desperation, and uncertainty over future aid deliveries are contributing to escalating insecurity across the enclave.
The agency has urged Israel to allow a greater and faster flow of food assistance.
In a further complication to humanitarian efforts, Jake Wood, executive director of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, abruptly announced his resignation.
In a statement, Wood said he believed the organization could not carry out its mission while adhering to core humanitarian principles.
The foundation, which launched operations from Geneva in February, had pledged to deliver 300 million meals in its first 90 days.
However, it has faced criticism and rejection from traditional aid organizations and the UN over alleged coordination with Israeli authorities.
Israel began intensifying its military operations in early May, aiming to dismantle Hamas’ military infrastructure and governance and to recover hostages taken during the October 2023 attack.
According to Gaza’s media office, Israeli forces now control approximately 77% of the territory through a combination of ground occupation, evacuation orders, and persistent aerial bombardments.