Israel attacked the United Nations Relief and Work Agency’s (UNRWA) school Al-Jaouni school which was sheltering displaced Gazans from Al-Nuseirat camps, killing 16 Palestinians and injuring 50 others, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Saturday.
A displaced man at the school told CNN children were among the injured “There was a swing here, swings were here, (children) were playing,” he said.
He added as he cradled his young daughter “We barely found this place in the school, but even the school is not safe.”
The Israeli military stated in a statement on Saturday that Hamas was operating near the school.
“This location served as a hideout and operational infrastructure from which attacks against IDF (Israel Defense Forces) troops operating in the Gaza Strip were directed and carried out,” according to the statement.
UNRWA Communication Director Juliette Touma told CNN that UNRWA does not yet have all of the information and that half of UNRWA’s facilities in Gaza had been affected since October 7.
“At least 500 people sheltering in those (UNRWA) facilities have been killed, many were women and children,” according to her.
The revelation comes as long-stalled hostage release and peace talks seemed to be moving forward. A senior Hamas official told CNN that the group was willing to reconsider its demand that Israel commit to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza before accepting a deal that would establish a temporary truce and begin the process of releasing detainees.
Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv’s Democracy Square on Saturday to demand fresh elections and the release of captives, expressing dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of topics including the Gaza conflict.