Israel has attacked a school area in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip. At least 30 people have been killed and hundreds injured.
Children are said to be among the dead.
At least 30 people have been taken to hospital and confirmed dead, including children, reports several media outlets, citing the Hamas-controlled health department. Over a hundred people are reported to have been injured in the attack.
AP's reporter on the scene describes how at least one small, dead child was taken away in an ambulance. He describes how people on the scene are searching for victims in the rubble of the destroyed classrooms, how some are digging up the remains of their relatives.
According to Palestinian authorities, the school housed around 4,000 Palestinian refugees, but also a field hospital.
The Israeli army claims that the area was used by terrorist-stamped Hamas, among other things, to store weapons, writes Haaretz. According to the army, armed Hamas fighters were killed in the attack.
Multiple School Attacks
Israel has faced sharp criticism for repeated attacks on schools in Gaza recently. Since the beginning of July, at least eight school buildings have been hit in Israeli attacks, resulting in over 100 deaths, according to a compilation by the AFP news agency.
The majority of Gaza Strip's 2.4 million inhabitants have been driven from their homes by the war and many have sought shelter in school buildings.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military is planning an operation in the area around Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, where they say Hamas fighters are located. The area also has a provisional tent camp where thousands of Palestinians are seeking shelter from Israeli bombs.
The order comes as a response to rocket fire that Israel claims has been launched from the area. Khan Yunis has been the focus of a new Israeli military offensive, which Israel says is aimed at combating "Hamas' efforts to regroup its forces there".
Second Evacuation
This is the second evacuation in a week in the area. Around 170 people have been killed and hundreds injured since Monday, according to figures from the Hamas-controlled health department. Heavy fighting is ongoing in the area and the UN confirms that more than 180,000 people have fled the area during the same period.
The area is part of a 60 square kilometer "humanitarian zone" where Israel has told Palestinians to flee during the entire war. A large part of the area is covered by tent camps and around 1.8 million Palestinians are taking shelter there, according to Israel's estimates.
On Sunday, representatives from the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel are set to meet in Italy to discuss the ongoing hostage situation and a possible ceasefire. So far, all attempts at reaching some kind of agreement have failed.
