Israeli occupation forces killed at least 112 Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday in what has become the deadliest day since Israel resumed its genocidal war on the Strip on March 18.
Gaza’s civil defence agency also confirmed the death toll from the Israeli strike on the Dar al-Arqam School in Gaza City increased to 31 people from 29 dead hours earlier.
“Three schools used as civilian shelters have now been targeted, killing dozens and wounding more than 100, without any warning. Three bombs were dropped on the first school, killing at least 29 people – more than half women, children and old people,” said Al Jazeera journalist Hani Mahmoud, reporting rom Gaza City, northern Gaza.
He went on to say: “Survivors are running from death to death as evacuation centres face relentless Israeli strikes. People don’t know if they’ll survive the night. Safety doesn’t exist in the vocabulary of Palestinians here. When we talk about Israeli-designated “safe zones” we’re actually talking about death traps.”
“The bombing of Dar al-Arqam School is a genocide committed by the occupation against displaced children and women,” said Hamas.
It said: “Targeting civilians and displaced persons is part of the fascist occupation’s deliberate policy of committing massacres against our people. The ongoing mass killing, starvation, forced evictions, and closure of crossings constitute a full-fledged crime of genocide.”
In the southern city of Khan Younis, officials said the bodies of 14 people were taken to Nasser Hospital – nine of them from the same family. The dead included five children and four women.
The bodies of another 19 people – including five children aged between one and seven years and a pregnant woman – were taken to the European Hospital near Khan Younis, hospital officials said.
Later on Thursday, strikes killed four more people in Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital officials, and another two people were killed in central Gaza and taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital.
About 135,000 Palestinians have fled over the past 24 hours, most on foot, with some carrying their belongings on their backs and others using donkey carts, reports Al Jazeera.
“My wife and I have been walking for three hours covering only 1km,” Mohammad Ermana (72) said. The couple, clasping hands, each walked with a cane.
“I’m searching for shelters every hour now, not every day,” he said.
Israel has issued sweeping evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza ahead of an expected major ground assault.
The Israeli army again claimed it is targeting “terrorists” in Gaza and reported hitting 600 targets in the enclave since breaking the ceasefire on March 18 with relentless bombing.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
