"Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School Sheltering Civilians Kills 18, Including UN Staff"

An Israeli airstrike on a school in central Gaza, used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians, has killed 18 people, according to the Hamas-run civil defense agency in the region. The United Nations (UN) reported that six of its staff members were among the victims, marking the highest loss of UN workers in a single incident since the conflict began.

The school, located in the Nuseirat refugee camp, was struck by two airstrikes, according to the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA. Israel's military confirmed it targeted what it described as a Hamas command center located on the school grounds but did not specify further details about those affected.

The school had been sheltering around 5,000 displaced people at the time of the strike, with UNRWA reporting that the facility had been hit five times since the conflict started. The school housed approximately 12,000 displaced individuals, including women and children.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his dismay, calling the situation in Gaza "unacceptable." Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, emphasized that humanitarian workers and facilities had been consistently disregarded during the conflict, with at least 220 of the agency's staff killed since the war began.

Israeli authorities claim that Hamas militants frequently operate in areas with high civilian populations, using them as human shields, which Hamas denies. Local health officials reported that the airstrike on the Nuseirat school also injured 18 others.

In addition to the school strike, another Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza, near Khan Younis, killed 11 people, including six siblings aged between 21 months and 21 years. The war in Gaza, now in its 11th month, has resulted in the deaths of over 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, with ceasefire efforts repeatedly stalling.

Hamas reiterated its willingness to implement a ceasefire based on a previous U.S. proposal, but ongoing disputes, including control of a crucial border area with Egypt, remain unresolved. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted international pressure to relinquish control over the strategically important corridor.