An Israeli airstrike has pounded a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, killing scores of people.
The Palestinian health authorities earlier the strike killed more than 60 people. However, the Gaza civil defence agency officials put the number of deaths in the Al-Tabeen school at 90 to 100, according to AFP.
The Hamas-run Gaza government said the strikes targeted displaced people who were performing Fajr (dawn) prayers in Daraj Tuffah, reported Reuters.
The strike was acknowledged by the Israeli Defence Forces, which claimied that it was targeting a Hamas command and control centre operating within the school. The school, located next to a mosque, reportedly served as a hideout for Hamas commanders and terrorists.
The IDF said that before the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and intelligence information.
Around 39,699 people have been killed in Gaza so far in the Israeli military campaign in retaliation to 1,198 people killed in the October 7 attack by Hamas.
