GAZA, Sep 12 (V7N): An Israeli airstrike targeted a school in central Gaza on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 18 people, including UN workers, according to the civil defense agency in the Hamas-controlled territory.

The Al-Jawni school, located in Nuseirat, had been struck multiple times during the ongoing conflict. The latest attack claimed the lives of 18 people, including two staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for Gaza's civil defense agency.

UNRWA provided a higher count, reporting that six of its staff members were killed in the strike on the school, which had been converted into a shelter. This marks the highest number of casualties for the agency in a single incident.

In a statement on social media platform X, UNRWA said, "This school has been hit five times since the war began. It is home to around 12,000 displaced people, mainly women and children. No one is safe in Gaza."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, reiterating that six UNRWA colleagues were among the dead. "What's happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable," Guterres said on X. "These grave violations of international humanitarian law must end immediately."

Gaza's civil defense agency also reported that at least 18 others were wounded in the airstrike. AFP could not independently verify the casualty numbers, though the agency stated that women and children were among the victims.

The Israeli military confirmed conducting an airstrike at the Al-Jawni site, stating it had targeted a Hamas command-and-control center operating within the school grounds. However, the military did not provide further details about the operation or those targeted.

"Most of the people sought refuge in schools, and now the schools are being bombed," said Basil Amarneh from Gaza's Al-Aqsa hospital, where medics were bringing in injured children. "Where can people go?"

Schools Targeted Amid Conflict

The majority of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents have been displaced at least once during the conflict, with many taking shelter in schools. In recent months, Israeli forces have struck several of these schools, alleging that Palestinian militants were using them as operational bases while hiding among civilians—a claim Hamas denies.

In July, at least 16 people were killed in a strike on the same Al-Jawni facility, which Israel said was a target due to militant activity.

The ongoing Israeli military campaign, initiated after Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, has resulted in over 41,000 deaths in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. The UN has reported that most of the casualties are women and children.

The October 7 assault by Hamas led to the deaths of 1,205 people in Israel, primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which also includes hostages killed in captivity.

END/WND/SMA/