Israeli military strikes kill multiple civilians at UN shelter and hospital

Israeli military strikes have killed multiple civilians at a UN shelter and hospital in the Gaza Strip.

Two strikes hit a United Nations school sheltering thousands of civilians just north of Gaza City today, killing several people in tents in the schoolyard and women baking bread inside the building, according to the UN agency.

Initial reports indicated that 20 people were killed, but the agency has not yet been able to verify the figure. Large columns of smoke have continued to rise above large parts of the region this weekend as Israel’s military said it had encircled Gaza City, the target of its offensive to crush Hamas.

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Israeli air strikes have continued this weekend (HAITHAM IMAD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that 15 people were killed at the school and another 70 wounded. Also on Saturday, two people were killed in a strike by the gate of Nasser Hospital in Gaza City, according to Medhat Abbas, Health Ministry spokesman. The World Health Organisation on Saturday called attacks on health care in Gaza “unacceptable”.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Friday urged an immediate ceasefire to allow aid in, calling the humanitarian situation in Gaza “horrific”. He also said civilians must not be used as human shields and called upon Hamas to release all of the roughly 240 hostages it has. Incoming aid lorries in recent days have contained far more body bags than canned food, said Wael Abu Omar, a spokesperson for the Rafah crossing.

Clashes along Israel’s northern border continued on Saturday as the Israeli military said it struck militant cells in Lebanon trying to fire at Israel, as well as an observation post for Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas. Throughout the war, Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire almost daily along the Lebanese border, raising fears of a new front opening there. After touring Israel’s northern border, minister of defence Yoav Gallant said his forces were "not interested in a northern front, but we are prepared for any task". The air force is preserving "most of its might for the Lebanon front", according to a video statement released by his office on Saturday.

Israel admits ‘serious failures’ over deadly strike but insists aid workers were mistaken for Hamas