The Al-Aqsa Mosque and Ibn Rushd school sheltered hundreds of displaced people, the local authorities say<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least 24 Palestinians were killed in two Israeli strikes in Gaza that hit a mosque and a school, local officials have said. The Israeli military insists that the facilities were being used by Hamas operatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gaza\u2019s Government Media Office accused Israel of \u201ctwo brutal massacres\u201d on Sunday, saying the strikes targeted the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Mosque, which is adjacent to a hospital, and the Ibn Rushd school. Both facilities housed \u201chundreds of displaced people,\u201d it said in a statement on Telegram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to claiming two dozen lives, the attack also wounded 93 people, it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed the strikes, but said its warplanes were targeting \u201cHamas terrorists\u201d operating inside the facility, which used to be a school. The Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was also bombed, served as a command-and-control center, it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dThese command and control centers were used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel,\u201d the IDF claimed, adding that \u201cnumerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians\u201d prior to the attack and that the incident is \u201ca further example of the Hamas terrorist organization\u2019s systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Israel has been widely criticized for what some say are indiscriminate strikes on the Palestinian enclave and its ground operation which has resulted in unprecedented destruction in the area. West Jerusalem launched its onslaught on Gaza after a surprise attack by Hamas last October. The Israel-Hamas war has so far claimed the lives of more than 41,000 Palestinians and 1,100 Israelis, according to official data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n