93 Dead in Israeli Air Strike on Gaza School and Mosque

At least 93 people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a school and mosque in Gaza, CNN reported, citing local officials. Gaza Civil Defence reported the deaths occurred during dawn prayers. The Israeli Defence Forces claimed the target was a Hamas command center embedded in the building.

At least 93 people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a school and mosque in Gaza, sheltering displaced Palestinians, CNN reported, citing local officials. Gaza Civil Defence said people were performing dawn prayers at the Al-Tabi'in compound in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in the eastern part of Gaza City when it was hit overnight into Saturday.

"We recovered at least 90 people who had been killed," spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told CNN, adding that "many of them are torn apart, many are still unidentified." The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed to CNN that it hit the school, stating that its air force "precisely struck Hamas terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control center embedded" in the building.

The IDF said it took "numerous steps" to mitigate the risk of harming civilians before conducting the airstrike, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and intelligence information. Saturday's strike is the fifth on a school in Gaza by the Israeli military since last Sunday.

The UN Human Rights Office released a statement on August 5 saying it was "horrified by the unfolding pattern" of strikes on Gazan schools, adding that "such attacks are escalating." Gaza's Ministry of Health reported about 40,000 Palestinian deaths and over 90,000 injuries due to Israeli military activity in the region.

According to UN estimates, nearly 2 million people had been forced to leave the Gaza strip as of early July, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The conflict escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.

Israel has characterized its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas' infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while minimizing civilian casualties.

(With inputs from agencies.)