On 10 October 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombed Rufaida school-turned-shelter in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.[1] The airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians and injured more than 54.[2] The IDF did not issue a warning before striking the school.[3] The school was sheltering 1,000 people that were displaced by the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.[4]
| October 2024 Rufaida school attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Israel–Hamas war | |
  Deir al-Balah | |
| Location | Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip |
| Date | 10 October 2024 |
| Target | Rufaida school |
Attack type | Airstrikes, massacre |
| Deaths | 28+ Palestinians |
| Injured | 54+ Palestinians |
| Perpetrator |  Israel Defense Forces |
Airstrike
editTwo airstrikes hit two rooms in Rufaida school where food aid was being stored and distributed. The airstrikes destroyed three floors of the building. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that more than 28 Palestinians were killed in the strikes, including at least two children, five women and three men in their 60s, and at least 54 were injured, calling it a "new massacre" by the IDF.[1] The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed the death toll.[3] The IDF claimed to have struck "terrorists who were operating inside a command and control center" at the school compound, without providing evidence. CNN footage showed several children being carried into ambulances, with their faces covered in blood.[2] Eyewitnesses reported seeing "innocent children scattered across the floor" and "heads blown off".[5] Al Jazeera journalist in Deir al-Balah, Tareq Abu Azzoum, reported that children and women "were torn to pieces by the intensity of the strike", which made it difficult to identify dead bodies.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Israeli strike on Gaza school-turned-shelter kills 28, medics say". BBC News. 2024-10-10. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ a b Haq, Ibrahim Dahman, Abeer Salman, Sana Noor (2024-10-10). "Israeli strike kills at least 28 Palestinians at school in central Gaza, Red Crescent says". CNN. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c "At least 28 killed in Israeli attack on school sheltering displaced in Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ "'Heads blown up': Israeli strike on central Gaza school kills 28". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ "'Heads blown up': Israeli strike on central Gaza school kills 28". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2024-10-15.