At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured in Israeli attacks on Thursday on two schools in Gaza City, the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza said.
The Israeli army confirmed the attacks on the schools, saying they were aimed at terrorists from the Palestinian Islamist Hamas militia, who operated command centres in the area of the two schools.
It said it had taken “numerous steps” to “mitigate the risk of harming civilians,” including using precise weapons, surveillance and other intelligence, the army said.
The information could not be independently verified.
After the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, school operations in the sealed-off coastal area were suspended. Most schools now serve as emergency shelters for war-displaced people.
Around 85% of the population of the Gaza Strip has been forced to flee as a result of the war. Hamas, on the other hand, often uses schools and hospitals to set up command centres and store weapons.
Cyprus ready to help with evacuation from Lebanon
Meanwhile in Cyprus, officials said the country stands ready to assist with the evacuation of foreign civilians from Lebanon, in the event of an escalation in the brewing conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militia.
“We are ready to help if necessary,” government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou told dpa on Thursday.
The embassies of numerous European Union member states have already contacted the Cypriot government to discuss details of possible evacuations, Antoniou said.
Cyprus – the EU member state located nearest the Middle East – has repeatedly served as a hub for aid and evacuation operations during crises in the region.
The flight time from Lebanon to Cyprus is around 35 minutes.
Ferries could also be used to take people wishing to leave the country to the Cypriot ports of Limassol or Larnaca. People have been brought to safety on these routes several times in recent months.
The evacuation plan, known as Operation Hestia, reportedly provides for aeroplanes from EU states and non-EU countries to pick up their own citizens and family members from Lebanon or Israel and bring them to Larnaca or Paphos.
The plan also sets out in detail where the evacuees would be temporarily housed until they can fly on to their home countries.
Fears have recently increased that a major war could break out in the region after the targeted killings of a top Hamas leader and of a top Hezbollah commander last week, prompting Iran and its allies to threaten retaliation against Israel.
