Israel Claims It Killed 19 Hamas and Jihad Activists

The Israeli army and the Shin Bet security service announced the names of 19 activists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad who were reportedly killed in an airstrike on Saturday morning against a command room belonging to the two groups in the Al-Taba'in School in Gaza City. The civil defense agency affiliated with Hamas in the Gaza Strip stated that more than 90 people were killed in the airstrike, describing the incident as a "horrific massacre." Several Western diplomats and Egyptian and Qatari mediators in ceasefire talks for the release of hostages, along with many Islamic countries, condemned Israel for the airstrike. The White House expressed that it was "deeply concerned" about the airstrike, seeking further details, while noting that a very large number of civilians are still being killed in the Gaza war. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated, "We know that Hamas uses schools as gathering and operational sites, but we have also repeatedly said that Israel must take measures to reduce harm to civilians." According to the Israeli army, the strike was carried out using three "precision munitions" against the command room of the two groups located inside a mosque in the Al-Taba'in School compound. The army claimed footage taken after the strike showed no significant damage to the surrounding school compound. It further stated that the rockets "could not have caused the damage corresponding to the casualty reports published by the government media office in Gaza." In English remarks later on Saturday, Israeli army spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that according to "various intelligence indicators," there is a "high likelihood" that the commander of the Central Camp Brigade in Islamic Jihad, Ashraf Qudda, was also present in the school during the bombardment, adding that it has not yet been clarified whether Qudda was killed in the strike. Hagari stated in a video message, "In recent months, Hamas has increasingly focused on exploiting school buildings, which civilians often seek shelter in, using them as military facilities and command centers, and for storing weapons and carrying out terrorist attacks." He added, "In recent weeks, our intelligence has been closely monitoring an active military facility for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, where about twenty armed men from Hamas and Islamic Jihad were operating." He further stated, "After we received clear intelligence about the threat posed by these terrorists and in accordance with international humanitarian law, we took numerous steps to mitigate the risks to civilians, including using aerial reconnaissance before the strike and choosing highly precise munitions to avoid civilian casualties." Hagari mentioned, "Early this morning, the Defense Forces carried out a precise strike against the terrorists in a specific building within the compound. This was an area where, according to our intelligence, there were no women and children." He also stated that the casualty figures announced by Hamas "do not distinguish between fighters and non-fighters and do not match the information held by the Defense Forces." The total number of deaths and the number of combatants killed have not yet been clarified. Hagari said on Saturday, "Since the start of this war, the terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad have systematically exploited the civilian population and infrastructure in Gaza to advance their terrorist activities against the State of Israel. This includes Hamas's vast network of underground tunnels that run beneath cities, hospitals, mosques, schools, and UN facilities, which terrorists use to launch attacks, stockpile weapons, and hold Israeli hostages." He added, "This also includes hospitals throughout the Gaza Strip, which have been repeatedly infiltrated and armed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, where terrorists and tunnel entrances have been found. Increasingly, in recent months, Hamas has focused on exploiting school buildings, which civilians often seek refuge in, using them as military facilities and command centers to store weapons and carry out terrorist attacks." According to military assessments, Hamas operatives are finding it difficult to remain within the tunnels as the prolonged war continues, thus increasingly transitioning to above-ground locations while hiding among innocents. Egypt stated that the "deliberate killings" carried out by Israel on Saturday against Palestinians demonstrated that it lacks the political will to end the war in Gaza amidst negotiations for an agreement that would lead to the release of hostages by Hamas in exchange for a ceasefire.