Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir el-Balah, said that these attacks are part of a worrying trend where evacuation centers, predominantly schools, are being targeted without prior warning, leading to significant casualties and compounding the trauma of the already displaced population in Gaza. This unpredictability has heightened fears among those seeking refuge in these supposed safe spaces.
These strikes come after a similar attack on Saturday, where the Israeli military bombed the Hamama school in Gaza City, killing at least 15 people. Nebal Farsakh from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) emphasized that these attacks further prove that there is no safe place left in Gaza, as civilians who have been forced to flee multiple times are now being targeted even in evacuation centers.
The Israeli military claimed that the schools were being used by Hamas as hiding places and command centers, but Al Jazeera's Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, pointed out that these claims have been repeatedly made without evidence. Despite the Israeli military's assertions of taking precautions to minimize civilian casualties, Palestinian civilians continue to suffer significant losses, often without any warning before the strikes.
In addition to the strikes on schools, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for Palestinians in southern and southeastern parts of Khan Younis in Gaza, further expanding their offensive. This order affects several neighborhoods, with residents warned that remaining in these areas is extremely dangerous.
The United Nations recently reported that over 86 percent of Gaza has been impacted by Israel's evacuation orders, with most people crammed into small "safe zones" that have also been targeted by Israeli attacks. The ongoing conflict, which began in October following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, has resulted in the deaths of at least 39,583 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Over 91,000 others have been injured during the conflict.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with the relentless bombing campaign and the lack of safe havens leading to a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. The international community continues to watch with growing concern as the death toll rises and the civilian population of Gaza bears the brunt of the conflict.
