Israeli army admits to targeting Buraq School in Gaza

JERUSALEM

The Israeli army admitted on Saturday that it targeted the Buraq School in the blockaded Gaza Strip where dozens of civilians were killed.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari claimed in a statement that the Israeli military killed Hamas resistance group members who "held about a thousand residents of the Gaza Strip hostage in the Rantisi hospital during the fighting."

Ahmed Siam was killed when he “hid in a Buraq school," where a number of Hamas fighters under his command "hid and were killed along with him," he claimed but admitted to the attack on the Buraq School, where dozens of displaced civilians had taken shelter to escape the heavy bombing of Israeli forces.

“At least 25 people died in Israel's attack on the school,” Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director general of the Al-Shifa Hospital told Al-Jazeera broadcaster.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas stated that “more than 50 Palestinians died in the Israeli army attack against the displaced civilians on Salah al-Din Road and the Buraq School.”

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip -- including hospitals, residences, and houses of worship -- since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi