Israel has carried out an attack on a UN school in central Gaza Strip, which according to Israel was used by the terrorist Hamas.
At least 30 people are reported to have been killed in the attack, which has met with strong condemnation from the international community.
"Fighter jets carried out a precision attack on a Hamas facility embedded in a UNRWA school in Nuseirat", reports Israel's army (IDF) in a statement on Thursday morning, and claims that Hamas members who participated in the large-scale terror attack in Israel on October 7 are said to have been located in the school.
No immediate evidence is presented for these allegations.
UNRWA's schools have been used as shelters for Palestinian refugees since the start of the war – now comprising the majority of Gaza's over two million inhabitants.
The attack came "without warning", reports UNRWA's chief Philippe Lazzarini.
"The school was providing shelter to 6,000 displaced people when it was hit", writes him
"Claims that armed groups may have been inside the shelter are shocking. We have not had the opportunity to verify these claims."
The death toll has not been confirmed, but al-Aqsa hospital in Dayr al-Balah is reported to have received at least 30 bodies after the school attack, as well as six bodies after a separate attack on a residence, according to AP, citing documents from the hospital and a reporter on the scene.
At least five of the dead are children, according to the health authorities in the Hamas-controlled area.
The attack has sparked reactions around the world. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell demands that it be "independently investigated", while the US State Department demands "transparency".
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the attack, according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
According to IDF, several measures were taken to minimize the risk of civilians being harmed in the attack on the school.
"The terrorists orchestrated terror operations from the school's area while exploiting it and using it as a shield", reports IDF.
