Israeli Airstrikes Kill 100 in Gaza School Attack \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Israeli airstrikes killed over 100 Palestinians Thursday, including at least 27 sheltering in a Gaza school. Israel claims the strikes target Hamas command centers, while rights groups warn of civilian harm and potential war crimes. Netanyahu later announced a new Gaza security corridor plan.
Israeli Strikes Escalate in Gaza Quick Looks
- Over 100 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday
- 27 people, including 14 children, died in school bombing
- Israel claims targets were Hamas command centers
- Gaza Health Ministry: over 50,000 killed since war began
- New Israeli evacuation orders displace 280,000 more Palestinians
- Netanyahu announces plan to isolate Rafah, create new corridor
- Rights groups warn Israel’s blockade may amount to war crimes
- At least 15 medics reportedly killed, buried by Israeli forces
- Hamas refuses to disarm or surrender hostages without conditions
- ICC issued arrest warrant for Netanyahu, Hungary defies it
Deep Look
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza escalated sharply Thursday as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 100 Palestinians, including more than two dozen sheltering inside a school, amid a renewed military push to expel Hamas from the territory. The assault, described by Hamas as a “heinous massacre,” has intensified scrutiny of Israel’s campaign in Gaza, now in its ninth month.
According to Palestinian health officials, 14 children and five women were among the dead pulled from the rubble of a school struck in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City, where dozens were sheltering. Zaher al-Wahidi, a spokesman for Gaza’s Health Ministry, said 70 people were injured, some critically, and warned that the toll would likely rise. Nearby in Shijaiyah, over 30 more civilians were killed in airstrikes on residential buildings, according to Ahli Hospital records.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged striking a “Hamas command and control center” in the area, claiming it took steps to minimize civilian casualties—a justification Israel has repeated for multiple recent attacks, including a strike on a United Nations shelter the day prior that killed 17 civilians.
Despite Israel’s official reasoning, rights groups and Palestinian officials describe the pattern of strikes as indiscriminate and devastating to civilians. Footage from Gaza showed families pulling bodies from rubble, many of them children, while survivors fled on foot under constant threat of renewed bombardment.
President Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, now in its third term, has shifted to a new phase of the conflict. On Wednesday, he announced the creation of a “security corridor” cutting across Gaza to isolate Rafah, the last remaining major city not fully under Israeli control. The plan includes reasserting control of the Netzarim corridor, which already divides the north from the rest of the Gaza Strip, and another route along the border with Egypt—measures viewed by Palestinians as a form of de facto annexation.
In tandem with military operations, Israel has maintained a strict blockade on Gaza, cutting off food, fuel, and humanitarian aid. According to the United Nations, this tactic has led to “acute shortages,” pushing millions to the brink of starvation. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have called the blockade a potential war crime.
Since a temporary ceasefire ended last month, more than 280,000 Palestinians have been newly displaced, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Nearly 90% of Gaza’s population has now been displaced since the war began in October.
Worsening Casualty Toll and Targeting of Medical Workers
Thursday’s toll added to a growing list of civilian deaths. Overnight strikes alone killed 55 people, according to hospital sources. In Khan Younis, 14 members of one family were killed, including five children. Another 19 were killed in nearby European Hospital, including a pregnant woman and children aged 1 to 7. Ahli Hospital in Gaza City reported 21 additional fatalities, with more deaths reported later in the day.
Israel’s military also promised an internal investigation into a March 23 incident in which 15 Palestinian medics and emergency responders were reportedly killed, with ambulances buried in a mass grave. U.N. officials say audio logs indicate the medics were still alive after their vehicles came under fire.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its dispatchers heard medics pleading in Hebrew with Israeli soldiers before going silent. Riyad Mansour, Palestinian ambassador to the U.N., submitted video evidence allegedly showing the vehicles lit and clearly marked as humanitarian transports before being ambushed.
Israel initially claimed the ambulances were acting suspiciously and that militants were present, but has since launched a fact-finding investigation—though rights groups warn these internal probes rarely lead to accountability.
Hamas, Hostages, and Negotiation Stalemate
Israel’s goal remains the complete removal of Hamas, which it accuses of using civilians as shields. Hamas, for its part, has refused calls to disarm or vacate Gaza and insists it will only release the 59 remaining hostages—24 believed to be alive—in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Israel says it has killed around 20,000 Hamas fighters, though it has not provided verified evidence. The Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths, says more than 50,000 people have died, over half of them women and children.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages. Most hostages have since been released in exchanges, while Israeli forces have recovered dozens of bodies and rescued eight hostages alive.
Netanyahu’s Foreign Trip Despite ICC Warrant
In a bold move, Netanyahu traveled to Hungary on Thursday, marking his second trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him in November. The ICC alleges Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant employed starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally targeted civilians.
Hungary, an ICC member state, is technically obligated to arrest Netanyahu upon arrival. However, it has instead announced plans to withdraw from the ICC, effectively shielding the Israeli prime minister.
Lebanon Strike Escalates Regional Tensions
In a further escalation, an Israeli airstrike in Sidon, Lebanon early Friday killed at least two people, according to an Associated Press photographer. The strike hit a multistory building—the first such attack in Sidon since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect last November.
While Israel did not immediately comment, the incident is part of a wider pattern of strikes targeting Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Lebanon, fueling fears of broader regional conflict.
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