At least 100 people were killed following an Israeli attack on a school in Gaza that was sheltering displaced individuals.
The school, situated in the Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City, was reportedly bombed during morning prayers on Saturday.
Reports indicate that among the casualties were women, children, and the elderly.
The Israeli military claimed the school was being used as a “Hamas headquarters” and was harbouring “terrorists.”
They also claimed that measures had been taken to minimise civilian casualties.
In response, Gaza’s government media office condemned the attack as a massacre, describing it as an act of genocide and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.
“The occupation army directly bombed the displaced people while they were performing the dawn prayer, and this caused the number of martyrs to rise rapidly.
“Due to the horror of the massacre and the large number of martyrs, medical teams, civil defence, and relief and emergency teams have not been able to recover the bodies of all the martyrs so far.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the occupation’s perpetration of this horrific massacre, and we call on the whole world to condemn it. We hold the Israeli occupation and the American administration fully responsible for this massacre.
“We call on the international community and international organisations to put pressure on the occupation to stop the crime of genocide and ethnic cleansing against civilians and displaced persons in the Gaza Strip and to stop the cascade of blood flowing in the Gaza Strip,” the statement reads.
Since Hamas infiltrated Israeli territory in response to Israel’s expansion and occupation on October 7, 2023, Israel has been launching missiles at Gaza, killing thousands and while rendering many internally displaced.