Gaza school strike which killed 22 targeted one Hamas figure, BBC told

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An Israeli aerial onslaught that killed aggregate children at a erstwhile schoolhouse 12 days ago had been targeting 1 section Hamas figure, the BBC has been told.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a Hamas "command and power centre" had been embedded wrong the compound successful Gaza City, which it targeted successful a "precise strike" connected 21 September.

It killed 22 people, including 13 children and six women, according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry.

The school, closed during the war, had been lodging displaced people, the wellness ministry said.

One young girl, Amal, told the BBC she had been wrong the schoolhouse gathering erstwhile it was deed and saw bodies “torn apart”.

“What person we done arsenic children? We aftermath up and spell to slumber terrified," she said.

“At slightest support the schools; we don’t person schools oregon homes - wherever bash we go?”

Sources person told the BBC that 1 of those killed was a section Hamas figure, meaning galore civilians died owed to a azygous main target.

Huda Alhadad mislaid 2 children – lad Muhammad, 13, and girl Hanan, 12.

“I was coming from the hallway erstwhile the rocket fell. I came and recovered my hubby screaming, saying, 'My children, my children, my children,'" she told the BBC.

“I asked him, 'Where are they?' I searched for them and recovered them nether the rubble.”

In the 12 days aft the aerial strike, astatine slightest 8 much fatal strikes took spot successful Gaza connected schoolhouse buildings lodging displaced families – the latest successful a bid of attacks connected specified buildings, which supply small safety.

Unicef has said much than 50% of schools utilized arsenic shelters successful Gaza had been straight deed during the existent war, with “devastating consequences for children and families”.

In each of the latest strikes, the IDF released nationalist statements saying the erstwhile schools had contained Hamas terrorists oregon “command and control” centres.

In their nationalist connection astir the 21 September strike, the IDF incorrectly named the erstwhile schoolhouse they deed – Al-Zeitoun C – alternatively identifying different 1 nearby, Al-Falah.

We confirmed that Al-Zeitoun C was the 1 that had been deed by speaking to section people, arsenic good arsenic comparing videos of the onslaught aftermath with outer imagery.

The Hamas-run Gazan authorities besides named it arsenic Al-Zeitoun C.

The applicable country is successful the Al-Zeitoun neighbourhood and includes 4 chiseled schools: Al-Falah, and Al-Zeitoun A, B, and C.

When asked astir incorrectly naming the school, the IDF refused to comment.

It would besides not remark connected who was targeted.

The Hamas-run authorities media bureau said the Israeli subject had committed a “horrific massacre” by bombing Al-Zeitoun C school, which shelters displaced people. It said that, successful summation to those killed, the onslaught besides caused terrible injuries, including 9 children who needed limbs amputating.

Dr Amjad Eliwa, an exigency doc who treated those injured successful the strike, described implicit 30 injuries reaching his hospital, saying they were “mostly among children and women, with cases of amputations and precise terrible injuries”.

He described 1 of those who died arsenic a pistillate who was six months pregnant.

This was corroborated by images of a foetus astatine the tract of the strike, and residents said the dormant pistillate was Barah Deraawi, who died on with 2 young daughters, Israa and Iman.