Israeli strike on school-turned-shelter in Gaza kills 40, medics say

Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip) | An Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 40 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory's Health Ministry. The Israeli military said it targeted militants.

Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas. It has vowed to seize control of Gaza and keep fighting until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and until it returns the remaining 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, from the Oct 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war.

The strike on the school in northern Gaza also wounded more than 55 people, said Fahmy Awad, head of the ministry's emergency service. He said a father and his five children were among the dead.

He said the school was hit three times while people slept, setting their belongings ablaze. Footage circulating online showed rescuers struggling to extinguish fires and recovering charred remains.

The military said it targeted a militant command and control center inside the school that Hamas and Islamic Jihad used to gather intelligence for attacks. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in residential areas.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the Oct 7 attack. More than half the hostages have been returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals, eight have been rescued, and Israeli forces have recovered the remains of dozens more.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed around 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It says more than half the dead are women and children but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.