An Israeli airstrike against Hamas in a mosque in the Gaza Strip killed 26 people

At least 26 people were killed and 93 others injured in Israeli airstrikes on a mosque and a school providing shelter to displaced people in the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning, the Hamas-led Gaza government’s media office said.

Palestinian health officials said at least 20 more people had been killed in northern Gaza since Saturday evening, after the army sent tanks to the area for the first time in months and urged residents to leave the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said it carried out “precision attacks against Hamas terrorists” who operated from command and control centers located at the Ibn Rushd School and the Shuhad al-Aqsa Mosque in the Deir al-Balah area of ​​central Gaza.

Hamas denies accusations of using civilian facilities such as schools, hospitals and mosques for military purposes.

“The mosque has been here for 20 years and the area has displaced people,” said Imam Ahmed Fleet, as he recovered a Quran from the rubble. “I was shocked when I got hit.”

The strikes came as the first anniversary of the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group approached and as Israel expanded its operations in Lebanon.

According to Israeli data, Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostage.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, nearly 42,000 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s subsequent military attack on Gaza.

It also displaced almost all of the enclave’s 2.3 million inhabitants, caused a famine crisis and led to genocide charges before the World Court, which Israel denies.

The International Committee of the Red Cross called on all parties to ensure the protection of all civilians.

“This is a year marked by broken hearts and unanswered questions. Families have been separated and many loved ones are still held against their will. “Tens of thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced across the region,” it said.

The press office of the Hamas-led Gaza government reported that Israel struck 27 homes, schools and shelters for displaced people across Gaza in the past 48 hours.