GAZA CITY, CAIRO. An Israeli airstrike killed at least 22 civilians, including women and children, in a school sheltering displaced families in southern Gaza City on Saturday. The Gaza health ministry confirmed that the victims included 13 children and six women. The Israeli military, however, stated that the attack targeted a Hamas command center embedded within the compound, which had previously served as a school.
Eyewitness Said Al-Malahi described the scene: “The women and their children were sitting in the playground of the school, the kids were playing, and suddenly two rockets hit them.”
Footage captured by Reuters showed the destruction left behind—shattered walls, burnt furniture, and debris scattered across the site. As the community struggled to cope with the aftermath, families wrapped the deceased in blankets, with some carried away on donkey carts. Ambulances were seen transferring other bodies.
Another eyewitness, Ahmed Azzam, expressed his anger and frustration over the lack of regional intervention: “I couldn’t take it, I did not see a single man that is injured, it was all women and children. Let the Arab countries rejoice, let them rejoice and clap for Netanyahu and the United States of America.”
In response to the strike, the Israeli military reiterated its claim that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, to hide military operations. Hamas has consistently denied this accusation.
This incident comes amid heightened violence since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing around 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million people in the enclave.
Negotiations remain ongoing between Israel and Hamas, with key sticking points including Israel’s demand to maintain control of the southern border between Rafah and Egypt, and a potential exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. However, the Israeli government maintains that the conflict will only end with the complete eradication of Hamas, while the militant group seeks a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
