At least 22 people, including women and children, have lost their lives in an Israeli air strike on a school compound in Gaza City on Saturday. The strike targeted a Hamas command center allegedly located within the Al-Zaytoun School, where thousands of people were seeking shelter. Palestinian officials reported that the casualties included 13 children, with a heartbreaking mention of a 3-month-old infant among the victims. The attack left some children in critical conditions requiring amputations, as per the Gaza Government Media Office.

Israeli military confirmed that the strike was a precise operation aimed at Hamas fighters using the school as a command and control center for planning terrorist activities. Despite Israeli claims that precautions were taken to avoid civilian casualties, the strike resulted in a devastating loss of innocent lives. Notably, CNN could not independently verify the presence of Hamas operatives in the compound, though the Israeli Defense Forces have frequently accused Hamas of utilizing such civilian structures for military purposes.

A harrowing account from a woman who survived the attack revealed the lack of warning prior to the missile barrage raining down on the sheltering crowd. Expressing anguish and outrage, she condemned the ongoing conflict and the escalating bloodshed, calling for a halt to the violence that has left many without basic necessities such as schools, hospitals, food, and water. Another young girl, named Amal, pleaded with the international community to intervene and cease the bombings of schools where children like her have been facing the constant fear of death and destruction.