Attack on school

Leading member of Islamic Jihad probably dead

The school in Gaza City lay in ruins after the attack on Saturday morning.

(Bild: APA/AP)

According to Israel's army, a senior commander of the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad was "very likely" killed in its latest attack on a school building in the Gaza Strip. Ashraf Judah is believed to have been present in the "military command center" set up in the attack target, the army said late Saturday night. However, it was not certain whether he was actually killed in the attack at the Al-Tabaeen school.

Ashraf Judah was also said to be a leading member of Islamic Jihad. The Israeli army had previously announced that "at least 19 terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad" had been killed in the "precise hit" on the school building in the city of Gaza. This could be confirmed following an investigation by the intelligence services. The army published the names and photos of the Islamist fighters suspected of having been killed. "The terrorists operated with the aim of carrying out attacks on Israeli soldiers (...) from inside the school compound," the army added.

This post shows which 19 suspected terrorists were taken out, according to Israel's army: 

In addition, it emphasized that the attack was carried out "with three precise types of ammunition" and assured that "the compound where the terrorists were located did not suffer any major damage."

Eleven children killed in attack during morning prayers
According to the civil defense authority in the Gaza Strip, 93 people were killed and dozens more injured in the rocket attack on Saturday morning. The attack took place during morning prayers. Eleven children and six women were among the dead.

Since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, Israel has accused Hamas of using schools, hospitals and other civilian facilities for military purposes and of abusing civilians as shields. Hamas denies this.

111 hostages still held by Hamas
The war has now been going on for more than ten months. It was triggered by the brutal major attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7. According to Israeli reports, fighters from the radical Islamic Palestinian organization and Islamic Jihad killed 1198 people and abducted 251 people as hostages in the Gaza Strip. 111 hostages are still being held there, 39 of whom are officially dead.

In response to the attack, Israel has since taken massive military action in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, at least 39,790 people have been killed.