American media reported on Sunday that Israel used an American-made precision-guided bomb during its airstrike on the Al-Tawabin school in Gaza City, which resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people. CNN quoted weapons expert Chris Cob Smith stating that the GBU-39 bomb manufactured by Boeing is a "high-precision munition designed to target strategically important sites." The Israeli army stated on Saturday that it "used precise weapons and munitions in an attempt to reduce civilian casualties."
Smith explained that "the use of any munitions, even of this size, always entails risks in densely populated areas." Israel, in a statement issued by the military and Shin Bet, confirmed the elimination of at least 19 operatives belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the strike that targeted the military command center inside the Al-Tawabin school.
The statement continued that the army and Shin Bet targeted operatives operating inside a military headquarters located within a mosque in the Al-Tawabin school complex in the Daraj and Tuffah areas. After intelligence assessments, they confirmed the elimination of at least 19 operatives who were terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad who promoted terrorist plans against the army and the state of Israel from the targeted complex.
It further stated, "The targeting operation was carried out using three precision bombs. According to data, the airstrike did not cause significant damage to the complex where the operatives met, as can be seen from the images of the complex after the strike." The statement highlighted, "Before the airstrike, numerous steps were taken to minimize the likelihood of civilian harm, including the use of precision munitions with small warheads and aerial surveillance methods to gather accurate intelligence."
Hamas stated in a statement that the Israeli military's "narrative" regarding the Al-Tawabin massacre in the Daraj neighborhood, claiming that those killed were members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, is misleading and false, with no basis in reality. They clarified that none of the victims were armed and noted that they were "civilians targeted while performing the Fajr prayer," including children, civil servants, university professors, and religious leaders, most of whom had no connection to any political or military activities.
