Israel says deadly airstrike on Gaza school targeted militants

JERUSALEM, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency and the military said on Wednesday that a deadly overnight airstrike targeting a school sheltering displaced families in northern Gaza was aimed at militants.

Gaza's health authorities said the strike killed at least 10 people and caused fires in tents and classrooms at the school.

In a joint statement, the Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike targeted a "command and control center" used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants that was embedded within the Yaffa School in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City.

According to the statement, militants used the site to "plan and execute terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops."

Israel has faced repeated accusations of striking schools, tent camps, medical facilities, and UN shelters housing displaced people. Israel often argues it targets militants hiding within civilian infrastructure.

At least 51,305 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since the offensive began in October 2023, according to an update from Gaza's health authorities. Enditem