At least 20 additional Palestinians were killed yesterday in Gaza following recent Israeli strikes on a crowded market and a school housing displaced individuals.
The Muslim World League (MWL) has issued a statement condemning Israel’s targeted bombing of Mustafa Hafez School in western Gaza City and a market in Deir el-Balah on Tuesday, killing at least 20 Palestinians.
Dr Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary-General and Chairman of the MWL, condemned these acts as serious violations of international humanitarian law. He called on the international community to act urgently to stop “these massacres and address the systematic crimes against civilians committed by Israel”.
Al Jazeera correspondent Hind Khoudary reported that the market attack took place in a busy area with heavy traffic, contributing to the high number of casualties.
“There are at least 10 Palestinians, including children, still in the ICU,” she said, noting that many are in critical condition. “Most of those who were wounded were children. We saw them in the hospital corridors lying on the ground, covered in blood and waiting for doctors,” she added.
The school, which housed around 700 people, was severely damaged with rescue teams still searching for survivors.
The Israeli military claims in a post on X that the school was used as a command center by Palestinian fighters, a claim it has repeatedly made without providing evidence.
The ongoing airstrikes have led to significant casualties and destruction, despite international calls for a ceasefire.
Since October 7, at least 40,774 Palestinians have been killed and 92,857 injured in Israel’s war on Gaza, according to local health authorities reported by Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, Hamas-led attacks have resulted in approximately 1,139 deaths in Israel and over 200 people taken captive.
Hamas also condemned the bombings by the Israeli army on Mustafa Hafez School and they urged the international community, the UN, and the International Criminal Court to act against these “ongoing crimes” and to prosecute the Israeli leaders for their actions.
