### Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School Kills 17, Including Nine Children

An Israeli airstrike targeting a school building sheltering displaced individuals in central Gaza resulted in the death of at least 17 people, according to reports from a local hospital. The incident occurred at the Al-Shuhada school within the Nuseirat refugee camp, as identified by Al-Awda hospital and confirmed by the Hamas-run government media office.

The devastating strike also left more than 52 people injured, as outlined by local sources, with videos from the aftermath showing distraught men carrying wounded children out of the rubble. The school was reportedly serving as a refuge for "thousands of displaced people," most of whom were women and children.

The Israeli military stated that the school building housed a Hamas command center, which was being utilized to orchestrate terrorist activities against Israel and its forces. However, the strike has drawn severe criticism due to the high number of civilian casualties, including nine children.

In recent weeks, multiple shelters across Gaza have been targeted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), justifying these actions as operations against Hamas personnel and infrastructure. The grim statistics underscore the ongoing human cost of the conflict, with at least 650 deaths reported in northern Gaza alone since the beginning of the latest offensive, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted the urgent need for increased humanitarian aid, noting that only four out of 70 coordinated aid missions to northern Gaza were allowed by Israeli authorities in the first three weeks of October. Despite some shipments of food, water, and medical supplies being transferred by Cogat, the Israeli military body overseeing humanitarian affairs, access remains severely restricted.

The conflict has also disrupted critical health initiatives, including the final stage of an emergency polio vaccination campaign. The campaign's second phase, which aimed to administer the oral polio vaccine to nearly 120,000 children in northern Gaza, has been postponed due to the intense bombardments and mass displacements.

The international community continues to grapple with the implications of the ongoing violence, with some experts suggesting potential breaches of international law by Israel. The escalating humanitarian crisis underscores the need for immediate relief and a renewed focus on resolving the conflict.