Up to 6,000 people were reportedly sheltering at the school. After the assault, many still milled in the courtyard near balconies hung with washing; with nowhere else to go, most plan to remain. Over 450 Palestinians have been killed, and nearly 1,500 injured, in Israeli attacks on about 170 UNRWA buildings, the “vast majority” former schools become shelters; almost every time, Israeli military officials say they’re targeting Hamas and using “precision” weaponry. In this case, they claimed “20 or 30” Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters were using the site as an operations center; they offered no evidence, and both Hamas and UNRWA disputed the claim, noting the IDF is given the coordinates of all U.N. facilities and “knew it was a school.” Still, Israel argues Hamas tries to use UN facilities as “their Iron Dome, and they will not have a safe place.” Despite guerilla warfare” with still-active Hamas units in north and central Gaza, Israel insists, “Any negotiations would be conducted only under fire.”
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