Ten people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a former school building in Gaza City that was being used to shelter displaced Palestinians, the Hamas-controlled civil defence agency said on Wednesday.
The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the strike, stating that the building was being used as a command centre by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
The military said members of the groups were present at the time and were planning attacks on Israeli civilians.
According to the military, Hamas was using Palestinian civilians as human shields. It added that multiple measures were taken ahead of the overnight strike to minimize harm to the civilian population.
Footage circulated in Palestinian media appeared to show fire and extensive damage to the site, including destroyed tents. Unconfirmed reports suggested some victims were burned.
The claims from both sides could not be independently verified.
Palestinians stand around the the bodies of their relatives who were killied in Israeli attacks that targeted makeshift homes and tents in Gaza City, at the Baptist Hospital. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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