Almost 500 schools in Gaza Strip come under fire

At least 477 out of the 564 schools in Gaza have come under fire in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said.

According to the agency, 344 school buildings were directly hit and another 133 suffered damage. These include 264 public schools, 156 UNRWA schools and 57 private schools.

"Some 180 schools serving as shelters of displaced people have been directly hit since October 2023," the agency added, citing reports from Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD).

On August 10, the Israeli army said that the air force "precisely struck Hamas terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control center embedded in the Al-Taba’een school and located adjacent to a mosque." According to the Israel Defense Forces, three high-precision missiles were fired at the building, killing 31 members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.