According to Palestinian reports, more than 100 people were killed when three rockets hit the school, including many internally displaced people. These “martyrs” were said to have been performing their morning prayers in a mosque next to the school. Dozens of the victims were burned to death.
“The air force precisely hit Hamas terrorists operating in a command center embedded in the Al-Taba’een school, located next to a mosque in Daraj Tuffah where Gaza City residents were sheltering,” the Israeli military said. Numerous measures were taken before the attack to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance and intelligence gathering.”
Numerous civilians among the dead
The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that the more than 100 dead included numerous civilians, mainly internally displaced persons. “The Israeli attacks were directed against the displaced persons who were performing the Fajr (morning prayer), which led to a rapid increase in the number of victims,” said a statement from the Gaza government’s media office, which is run by Hamas. The information provided by both sides could not be verified at this time.
The Israeli army said that “numerous measures” had been taken before the attack in the north of the coastal strip to reduce the risk to civilians. Precision munitions were used in the attack. Hamas used the building as a hideout for terrorists and commanders. Attacks against Israeli troops and the State of Israel were planned and prepared from there.
The Israeli military reiterated that Hamas is systematically violating international law by operating from civilian bases. Civilians are being used as human shields for their terrorist activities, it said.
Blinken warns of escalation
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously warned against an escalation of the situation in the Middle East. Such an escalation would not be in anyone’s interest. Against the backdrop of concerns about a retaliatory strike by Iran and its allies against Israel for the killing of two leading figures of Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, Blinken assured Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant on the phone of the USA’s unwavering support. However, an escalation would not be in the interest of either party, said Blinken.
According to a spokesman for his ministry, Blinken reiterated the “urgent need” for a ceasefire in Gaza. Iran was not explicitly mentioned in the ministry’s statement. It also said: “The Secretary reiterated the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.”
Washington provides money for weapons
The State Department also announced that Washington is providing Israel with an additional $3.5 billion to purchase US weapons and military equipment. Congress has been informed. According to a report by CNN, the funds are part of additional $14 billion in funding for Israel approved by the US Congress in April.
A ceasefire in the Gaza war is seen as the key to defusing the situation in the Middle East. A ceasefire in the sealed-off coastal strip would ensure the release of the hostages, enable more humanitarian aid for the suffering population and create “the conditions for broader regional stability,” Blinken said in the phone call. The USA, Qatar and Egypt, which are acting as mediators in the war between Israel and the Iranian-allied Hamas, had previously urged both sides to reach an agreement in a joint statement.
Massacre as trigger
The aviation authority in Moscow has banned Russian airlines from flying in the airspace over Israel for the next few nights. The ban is in effect from midnight CEST to 6 a.m. CEST. It will come into force today at daybreak, according to a report from the Rosaviatsia authority in Moscow. The so-called NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) is valid until August 16, 11 a.m. CEST. No reason was given, but it is likely that it is related to a feared Iranian air attack on Israel. Russia is a close ally of Iran and has supplied the country with more air defense weapons in recent days.
The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre in Israel last October by terrorists from Hamas and other groups, which left more than 1,200 people dead. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 39,600 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began. The number does not distinguish between civilians and fighters and cannot be independently verified.
In view of the high number of civilian casualties, the catastrophic humanitarian situation and the devastating destruction in Gaza, Israel is under strong international criticism. According to the Commissioner General of the UN Palestinian Relief Agency UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, two out of three buildings in Gaza have now been damaged or destroyed. He is basing his statement on the latest data from the UN satellite observation program. With every day that the war continues, the destruction of an entire community continues, Lazzarini complained on X.
