Air force strikes Hamas terrorists operating in Gaza UNRWA school

The terrorists planned to carry out terror activities against IDF troops and the State of Israel from within the compound in the area. 

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF DECEMBER 16, 2024 08:16 Updated: DECEMBER 16, 2024 08:24

An airstrike as seen from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. July 29, 2024. (photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)

The Israel Air Force struck Hamas terrorists operating in a command and control center embedded in what had previously been the UNRWA "Sheikh Jamil School" in Khan Yunis on Sunday, the military said on Monday morning. 

The school, also dubbed the "Ahmed Abdul Aziz School," was located within the Khan Yunis Humanitarian Zone in southern Gaza, the IDF added. 

The military further noted that the terrorists had planned to carry out terror activities against IDF troops and the State of Israel from within the training compound in the area. 

Terrorists exploit civilian infrastructure 

Before the strike, the IDF implemented extensive precautions to minimize civilian harm, including the use of aerial surveillance, intelligence, and precision munitions, the military said.

IDF soldiers from the Kfir brgigade operate in the Gaza Strip, November 20, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

"The terrorists operated from a structure that previously served as a school, which is yet another example of how the terrorist organization systematically operates within civilian population," the IDF stated. 

"The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip systematically violate international law, exploiting civilian infrastructure and the Gazan population as human shields for terrorist activity," it added.