At least 20 Palestinians have been killed in another deadly day in Gaza after Israeli forces targeted a busy market and a school housing displaced persons. According to an Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground, at least eight Palestinians were killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike on an overcrowded market in Deir el-Balah, located in central Gaza. The correspondent indicated that the death toll could rise.
“This area is close to the market; it is a very busy street with heavy traffic, and therefore there are many casualties,” said Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary. She added that many children were injured during the attack, which struck an area less than a kilometer from Al-Aqsa Hospital, where most of the injured were taken. “At least 10 Palestinians, including children, are still in the intensive care unit,” reported Khoudary, adding that many of them are in critical condition. “Most of the injured were children. We saw them at the hospital lying on the floor, covered in blood and waiting for doctors.”
The attack on the market occurred just hours after another Israeli strike targeted a school in the western part of Gaza City, where 12 people were killed and many more injured. Rescue teams searched for survivors as many are still believed to be buried under the rubble of the collapsed school building. “Our rescue teams have retrieved 12 martyrs from the Mustafa Hafiz school, which was bombed by the Israeli occupation west of Gaza City,” stated Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense, to AFP on Tuesday.
Approximately 700 displaced Palestinians sought refuge in the school, according to civil defense authorities. The injured were sent to Al-Alhi Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The Israeli military claimed that it targeted a command center used by Palestinian fighters in the school—a claim they have made repeatedly without providing evidence. Despite a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, Israel has systematically targeted civilian facilities, including schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has reportedly killed over 40,170 Palestinians, primarily women and children, and injured an additional 92,740 since October 7, according to local health authorities.
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited mediators in Egypt and Qatar as part of a recent diplomatic mission to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, despite indications from both Hamas and Israel that challenges remain. In a statement, the Palestinian armed group Hamas accused the U.S. of altering the conditions of ceasefire negotiations and showing “blind bias” towards Israel.
Hamas stated that Blinken’s claim regarding their withdrawal from an agreement is “misleading,” asserting that they remain committed to the ceasefire framework supported by the U.S. and the United Nations presented in June. “Biden’s proposal indicates that Israel would fully withdraw in two phases and implement a complete ceasefire, while the Israeli demands only include a temporary ceasefire for six weeks,” said senior Hamas member Osama Hamdan to Al Jazeera.