On Friday, the Israeli Army confirmed that a bombing against a school run by the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of eight members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. This brings the total number of “terrorist” casualties to 17, many of whom were involved in attacks on October 7. Prior to this attack, Israel had previously stated that around 30 militants were hiding in the school classes.
The Nuseirat camp, established in 1970, was home to approximately 80,200 refugees before the conflict began. It contains several school buildings, a food distribution center, health centers, social services offices, and sanitation facilities. Located in the center of the Gaza Strip, the camp has been targeted by recent Israeli military operations aimed at destroying Hamas’ infrastructure.
Following attacks carried out by Hamas and other Palestinian factions on October 7 which resulted in many casualties and hostages, Israel engaged in clashes with Hamas in Bureij and launched a ground operation against Deir al-Balá. This city and camp have been frequent targets in the ongoing conflict in the region.
Authorities in Gaza Strip accused Israel of repeatedly committing massacres against Palestinians despite knowing there were tens of thousands of displaced people living within these centers. At least 40 Palestinians were killed during this attack including 14 children. The Nuseirat camp is one of three large refugee camps located within Gaza Strip that have been hit by Israeli military operations over the past few months as part of its efforts to destroy Hamas’ infrastructure.
