The Hamas-run well being ministry in Gaza says 26 individuals have been killed in Israeli air strikes on a mosque and college housing displaced Palestinians within the centre of the territory.
Dozens of individuals have been additionally injured in strikes that hit Ibn Rushd college and Al-Aqsa Martyrs mosque in Deir al-Balah early on Sunday morning, in line with the well being ministry.
The Israeli navy mentioned it had focused Hamas militants working inside “command and management” centres on the websites.
Movies verified by the BBC from the mosque present our bodies and blood on the bottom among the many rubble, whereas footage on the college exhibits the construction on hearth and a person being pulled out on a stretcher.
Earlier, the Hamas-run civil defence company mentioned 21 individuals have been killed and a big quantity wounded within the strike on the mosque, in line with the AFP information company.
Sunday’s strikes occurred virtually precisely one yr on from 7 October 2023, when Hamas gunmen attacked Israel, killing round 1,200 individuals and taking 251 hostage.
Since then, 41,870 Palestinians have been killed and greater than 97,000 injured in Gaza, in line with the well being ministry. It doesn’t differentiate between civilians and fighters.
In line with the United Nations, which makes use of Gaza well being ministry figures and considers them dependable, 187 individuals have been killed in Gaza from 30 September to 4 October alone.
In an announcement on the strike on the mosque, Hamas accused Israel of “bombing residents’ properties and demolishing them over their heads, ensuing within the deaths and accidents of dozens”.
The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned that “earlier than the assaults many steps have been taken to scale back the possibility of harming civilians, together with the usage of precision weaponry, aerial surveillance and extra intelligence data.”
The IDF accused Hamas of “exploiting civilian establishments and the inhabitants as human shields for terrorist acts”.
Hamas has denied utilizing colleges and different civilian websites for navy functions.
Elsewhere in Gaza, Israel’s navy started to encompass Jabalia within the north in a single day in response to what the IDF mentioned have been efforts by Hamas to rebuild within the space.
The navy mentioned it had struck “dozens of navy targets” earlier than and throughout the floor operation.
The IDF warned the general public that north Gaza is “nonetheless thought-about a harmful fight zone” and printed a brand new map on Sunday exhibiting zones for potential evacuation within the north.
It additionally mentioned it had expanded the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza.
Each the mosque and the college hit on Sunday are positioned within the humanitarian zone.
The IDF mentioned it had re-opened two evacuation routes from the north to entry the zone.
Israel doesn’t permit worldwide journalists from media organisations, together with the BBC, impartial entry to Gaza, making it laborious to confirm the information on the bottom.