Israeli airstrikes have hit a United Nations-run school in northern Gaza.
Israeli airstrikes have killed dozens of people at the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Organization (UNRWA) al-Fakhoora school in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Saturday that at least 50 people were killed in the bombing. It is assumed that many hundreds of people have sought refuge there.
“There are bodies everywhere and medical teams are trying to evacuate the wounded,” said Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abou Azzoum, reporting from Gaza.
He said that ongoing fighting during Israel’s ground offensive in the northern Gaza Strip had forced many Palestinians to flee to U.N.-run schools near the Indonesian hospital for protection.
“People seeking shelter at Al Fakhoura School in Jabalia refugee camp, many with medical problems, thought they could find shelter from the violence there. But the Israeli army seems to be sending a message: escape to the south of the Gaza Strip,” he said.
The Jabalia refugee camp has been a target of Israeli attacks for weeks because it is said to be housing Palestinian fighters. The deadly bombing of the camp continued despite condemnation from the UN and regional governments.
Schools and UN facilities have also been repeatedly attacked by the Israeli army. The war on Gaza has so far killed over 12,000 Palestinians, including many children.
The Al-Fakhoora School had also been attacked by the Israeli army several times before the war. The school was the target of strikes in 2009, 2014 and earlier this year.