From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
IDF says it struck Hamas command room embedded in Gaza City school
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF says it carried out an airstrike against Hamas operatives at a command room embedded within a school in Gaza City.
According to the military, Hamas was using the command room at the Mustafa Hafez School to plan and carry out attacks against troops in Gaza and against Israel.
The IDF says it carried out “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike, including using precision munitions, aerial surveillance and other intelligence.
“The Hamas terror organization systematically violates international law, brutally exploiting civilian institutions and the population as a human shield for terror activity,” the military adds.
In recent months, dozens of airstrikes have been carried out against Hamas sites embedded within schools and other sites used as shelters for civilians, according to the IDF.
A spokesperson for the civil defense agency in Hamas-run Gaza says at least seven people were killed in the strike, including five men and two children.
AFP contributed to this report.
