Dozens reported killed in strike on Gaza school that Israel says targeted Hamas

[groundloop]

Source: Reuters

Israel hit a Gaza school on Thursday with what it described as a targeted airstrike on up to 30 Hamas fighters inside, while a Hamas official said 40 people including women and children were killed as they sheltered in the U.N. site.

[snip]

Israel's military said its fighter jets had carried out a "precise strike" and circulated satellite photos highlighting two parts of a building where it said the fighters were based.

He said 20-30 fighters were located in the compound, and many of them had been killed, but had no precise details as intelligence assessments were being carried out. "I'm not aware of any civilian casualties and I'd be very, very cautious of accepting anything that Hamas puts out," he said.

The school, run by the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), was sheltering 6,000 displaced people at the time, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-jets-strike-school-containing-hamas-compound-gaza-media-says-27-2024-06-06/

[brush]

1. The warmongers strike again.

[jimfields33]

26. Hamas needs to stay out of the damn schools.

They are evil. Please protect Israel from these terrorists.

[TomDaisy]

29. and should the children stay out of the damn schools as well

well, moot point now - they're dead.

[jimfields33]

42. Thanks to Hamas. I'm sure they are proud.

[TomDaisy]

45. They are dead thanks to Israel. That's why the world is screaming Genocide. Not just me.

[jimfields33]

47. Hamas has great spokespersons.

People are really eating up the Hamas propaganda. The terrorists from Hamas sit back and smile.

[TomDaisy]

50. Seeing pictures of dead children killed by Israel is not propaganda.

[TomDaisy]

28. this school and the children were targeted, just like the aid workers

[ilovegamers43]

31. After seeing a school response its safer to put

People on ignore. No kids should be killed this way. This is horrible.

[claudette]

2. Dear

Lord. WHY are we supplying the weapons that are killing school children? Was there no other way to go INSIDE the school to seek out the alleged Hamas fighters? My Gawd!!!!!

[maxsolomon]

12. At a much greater risk to IDF soldiers, sure.

Small arms combat inside a school with automatic weapons and grenades, against a squad of similarly armed Hamas fighters - think that might harm any civilians sheltering there?

[claudette]

18. That's not what I meant

By “other ways.” Ignoring the death of innocents is shameful

[maxsolomon]

35. I'm now confused.

You wrote: "Was there no other way to go INSIDE the school to seek out the alleged Hamas fighters?".

How else could the IDF go inside the school to "seek out" Hamas fighters other than how I proposed? Drones? Ground-pentrating radar?

[claudette]

36. No

You’re putting words in my mouth I did not say. I’m saying find a better way. If they’re so smart they would

[maxsolomon]

38. I revised my comment

sorry to put words in your mouth. i don't understand why you think the IDF is "so smart". there aren't many innovative ways to fight an urban war.

[claudette]

43. Isn't it

a belief that Israel has the best intelligence techniques? That’s what I mean. I just pity the families who are losing children when it may be possible to avoid that.

Thanks for amending your post. I am NOT a fan of Hamas. I am concerned about innocents on all sides.

[Prairie Gates]

3. If you had a "tragic car accident" twice a month in which you mowed down a group of schoolchildren

I daresay you would not still be driving your car around.

[sarisataka]

4. Here is the straight scoop:

Ismail Al-Thawabta, the director of the Hamas-run government media office, rejected Israel's assertion that the U.N. school in Nuseirat, in central Gaza, had hidden a Hamas command post.

So that settles it, Hamas denies using the school. Case closed

[PSPS]

6. Huh?

If you're challenging the accuracy of the claim, I'll respond by saying that it doesn't matter.

"Destroy all of Hamas" is an impossible objective. "Bibi" sets that goalpost solely to keep himself in power and, thus, out of prison. His coalition of right-wing loons, whose support he requires to stay in power, has stated that their goal is to make Gaza uninhabitable. They call Palestinians "animals." Sound familiar? "Bibi" is loathed worldwide including within Israel and even the families of the hostages.

[sarisataka]

15. So all Hamas has to do is hide in schools, hospitals...

and they are safe. They can kill Jews until their little terrorist hearts are content (including of course homes, schools, hospitals...) and Israel is not allowed to touch them. They can only be engaged as they run from one illegal shelter to another?

Per the UNRWA, there were over 6,000 people sheltering in the school. If Israel wanted to simply kill Palestinians, they could just have easily killed 10x the amount.

Of course the UNRWA is shocked! Shocked to find that Hamas fighters would hide in one of their facilities.

[claudette]

20. Were

they attacking the IDF from that school? Or just hiding? Why ignore the possibility of death to so many innocents before trying another way?

[sarisataka]

21. It was indicated Hamas was using the school as a command post

So the answer would be yes, they were attacking from there.

Let's be honest- is there another way Israel could have tried that would not also be condemned?

[claudette]

22. It was

“indicated” by whom? Is that still a reason to kill innocent children who have nothing to do with Hamas? What has become of decency? I can’t understand how some make excuses for the murders any more.

[sarisataka]

25. I was correct above

"So all Hamas has to do is hide in schools, hospitals...and they are safe."

To answer "I can’t understand how some make excuses for the murders any more."

“We are the victims of the occupation. Period. Therefore, nobody should blame us for the things we do. On October 7, October 10, October one-millionth, everything we do is justified,” Hamad said.

-Ghazi Hamad, Hamas political bureau
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-official-says-group-aims-to-repeat-oct-7-onslaught-many-times-to-destroy-israel/

And I ask again: Let's be honest- is there another way Israel could have tried that would not also be condemned?

[claudette]

27. I would think so

That there might be a better way. I’m sure other countries have faced this problem and found a way. Intelligence is supposed to be SO great and yet they can’t figure out how to avoid knowingly killing innocent children. I have no more sympathy for such insanity. Period

[Igel]

37. Depends on the country and decade.

Some have walked away and saved killing the fighters for active engagement where they get to shoot at and kill some of the "good guys." Great idea, but all you've done is not killed the wife (wives?) and kids of the enemy fighters who, because you killed their hubbie/daddy, will hate you forever. That's the thing about pious self-righteousness--they kill you and yours, it's a good thing; but you defend yourself, you're fighting gawd and that makes you even more urgently in need of being killed.

Others have just pointed out that under international law, if you station fighters among civilians, it's the fighters that are assuming liability for any dead civilians, provided that the civilian deaths or damage is proportionate in some ill-defined way to the benefit of hitting the military target.

Of course, some of this is problematic. Take a strike a couple of weeks ago near but not in the humanitarian corridor where tents caught fire. The IDF hit their target--but voice intercepts talked about Hamas weapons stores exploding and burning off, which greatly increased the damage and number of deaths and injuries. (Meaning that you can protect fighters *and* ammo dumps just by housing both among or near civilians--a twofer.)

[AZLD4Candidate]

7. Yes it does. Because israel is evil and hamas are honest truthful freedom fighters that have never done anything

to innocent israelis that didn't deserve it.

[John Shaft]

13. Bibi is evil

Hamas is evil.

It's both/and not either/or.

They're both shitbirds.

[sarisataka]

16. "Everything we do is justified"

the world at large does not dispute this Hamas statement.

[AZLD4Candidate]

33. Just like 2,000 years of ingrained tradition, look at the Israeli flag and that is the reason why. That star has

been used against those that identify with it for a majority of western civilization's history.

You think anything's changed?

We are alone and always have been and always will be.

[TeamProg]

5. Bibi sends his "thoughts and prayers".

History will not be kind.

[lark]

8. So what is the formula, Israel?

If there's one Hamas member in a building, but 100s of women and children it's ok to kill all the civilians, to potentially kill the one true enemy or does it have to be at least 2-3? Yesterday 45 Palestinian children were killed at a school where there had been one Hamas fighter killed, per the IDF. Sure looks like genocide to me.

[Goddessartist]

30. Apparently

that's okay with many responding. It's viewing the Palestinians as human surplus.

[ilovegamers43]

32. Then others just want to gloss over it.

When it comes to kids this is just wrong.

[Goddessartist]

34. Apparently it's

Hamas propaganda to some. Genocide is what it is.

[ilovegamers43]

40. Its just sad. I pray we find peace

[Goddessartist]

41. Me too.

[marble falls]

9. "... an event that will be used to recruit more Hamas members bent on revenge." My edit.

[John Shaft]

10. Ah . . . US taxpayer money

the gift that keeps on giving.

[LudwigPastorius]

11. Well, if they were blown to bits, they MUST have been Hamas, right?

Bibi doesn't make mistakes.

[HarryM]

19. ROTFLMAOPMP!

Bibi makes no mistakes, then he is not human!

[claudette]

23. That sounds

feasible

[Evolve Dammit]

14. another fucking school. JHC Are there any hospitals or schools left? Needs to stop. n/t

[HarryM]

17. Apparently Bibi believes

That each and every Palestinian is Hamas. This will end when all Palestinians are dead. It is truly genocide.
That is not necessarily my opinion, but what I hear from some folks. Others say that Hamas is everywhere, and Palestinians who harbor them, whether innocent, or not are accessories in the crimes of Hamas.

[claudette]

24. Yeah

those innocent Palestinian babies and toddlers need to stop choosing to die to protect them

[Oopsie Daisy]

39. Blame Hamas. Until they find places to hide and cower and NOT use schools and hospitals *

* as their base of operations, and until they stop hiding weapons in residential areas and public markets, until they stop shielding themselves with innocents... then innocent people will continue to be casualties in this war.

Sadly, the death of innocent people mean more to Hamas (for its propaganda value) than the lives of innocent people. They do this on purpose... so I blame Hamas.

[claudette]

44. Except

They aren’t bombing their own children who have no say in the matter.

[Oopsie Daisy]

46. Hamas knows they are targets. They choose to *

* to put innocent lives in danger. Blame Hamas.

I know this is a very difficult and emotional subject. I wish it wasn't happening.

[manicdem]

48. Wait 48 hours

After past incidents in Gaza, I've found it's better to wait 48 hours before taking a side because everything seems to change....drastically after more information is released.

[sarisataka]

55. Good advice- the number of dead has changed quite dramatically

The hospital initially reported that nine women and 14 children were among those killed in the strike on the school. The hospital morgue later amended those records to show that the dead included three women, nine children and 21 men. It was not immediately clear what caused the discrepancy. An Associated Press reporter had counted the bodies but was unable to look beneath the shrouds.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-6-6-2024-3d07e712f8abc1e08339163180823fb8

[manicdem]

56. Probably not even that

If that's correct, the 21 were probably militants. And they consider anyone under 21 to be children, so those 9 are likely militants too

[Aussie105]

51. This has been standard IDF procedure for a long time.

Bomb the hell out of a hospital, school or anywhere Palestinians congregate, and claim that they were infiltrated by HAMAS fighters.

And people then put the blame on HAMAS.

How stupid are some people?

Israeli action killed those civilians. Israeli weapons. Maybe even weapons supplied by the US.

Are people really expecting HAMAS to find a wide open space with no civilians around, then wave flags, shouting . . . here we are, come fight us!

Israeli bloodthirsty paranoia means that they will see a HAMAS fighter in every Palestinian, no matter their age or gender.
The last Palestinian to die a violent death will be declared a HAMAS fighter, and Bibi will shout 'Mission accomplished!'

[Goddessartist]

54. Exactly

They are creating their own enemy - they terrorize Palestinians all of their lives. Israelis spit on Muslims on Jerusalem Day and scream 'Death to Arabs', but we're supposed to blame Hamas for the mass graves, the children and toddlers with sniper bullets to their heads, for the devastation of refugees in tents by aerial bombing, because the IDF say there were Hamas there, with no proof. Oh yeah, blame Hamas for Israel's genocidal behavior. It's like the abuser saying 'you made me do this!'.

[Aussie105]

52. HAMAS derives its energy from the 1947 decision

and the treatment of local Palestinians by Israelis since that date.

The resentment won't fade. Even if Bibi kills all Palestinians, levels all of the ground, and allows Israeli settlers to take over the barren Palestinian killing fields.

The resentment will flow to the surrounding Muslim countries, and the war will carry on.

Just in a different form.

The fighters who harass Israel will go by a different name, and the missiles will come to Israel from a different direction, but the war will go on.

[jimfields33]

53. I don't think so.

It appears to me, that other Muslim countries do not support Palestinians at all. Perhaps don’t even like them. Palestinians are the only ones who are not accepted by other middle eastern countries. That’s very telling. Heck even Israel has accepted more Palestinians into their area.