Israeli airstrikes targeted a school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 16 Palestinians and injuring about 50 others, according to local sources.

The al-Ga‘uni School, sheltering displaced persons, was hit by Israeli fighter jets, resulting in casualties primarily among children and women. This marks the second attack on the school since the onset of the Israeli offensive on Gaza on October 7.

In a related incident, an airstrike targeted a gathering in the As-Sikka area, east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, killing one person and injuring several others. Additionally, Israeli forces bombarded the vicinity of al-Abrar Mosque in Gaza City's Zaytoun neighborhood, resulting in one death and one injury. Israeli artillery also shelled areas east of the power plant and north of the al-Bureij refugee camp.

Emergency and rescue teams managed to recover the bodies of seven people, including two women, in Rafah, transferring them to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younes.

The ongoing conflict has seen Israel continue its offensive on Gaza despite a legally binding decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt its military actions in Rafah, potentially violating obligations under the Genocide Convention. Since October 7, the conflict has resulted in at least 38,098 Palestinian deaths and over 87,705 injuries, with 10,000 people presumed dead under the rubble of destroyed homes.

Palestinian and international organizations report that the majority of casualties are women and children. The Israeli aggression has also displaced nearly two million people from across Gaza, forcing most into the densely populated southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border, marking the largest mass exodus of Palestinians since the 1948 Nakba.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate with significant loss of life, widespread injuries, and massive displacement, amid ongoing Israeli military operations. The international community remains deeply concerned about the impact on civilians, particularly women and children, as the conflict intensifies. (ILKHA)