As the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, the Israeli military bombed another United Nations-run school in northern Gaza on Friday, killing three people. This attack comes just a day after a similar strike on a school in Gaza's center claimed the lives of at least 33 individuals. The Israeli army stated that Hamas terrorists were operating from within the schools in both instances.
In addition to the school bombings, Israeli airstrikes overnight across central Gaza resulted in the deaths of 28 people, including children. The strikes targeted the Nuseirat and Maghazi refugee camps, as well as the towns of Deir al-Balah and Zawaiyda. Residents reported that tanks, which have taken control along the borderline with Egypt, conducted several raids towards the west and center of the southern city, wounding several people.
The conflict further escalated when a drone, likely launched by the Hezbollah terror group, landed in an open area in the Jezreel Valley, near Nazareth, in northern Israel on Friday afternoon. In response, Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher and other infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces also shelled several locations with artillery and mortars to "remove threats."
As the war continues, pro-Palestinian activists demanding an end to the conflict and American support for Israel plan to surround the White House during a weekend protest. The demonstrations, scheduled for Saturday, mark eight months since the beginning of Israel's war in Gaza.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has added Israel's military to a global list of offenders for committing violations against children in 2023. The decision has been met with criticism from Israeli officials, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it "shameful" and stating that the UN has put itself on the "blacklist of history."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to the Middle East next week in an effort to pressure Israel and Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal laid out by President Joe Biden. This will be Blinken's eighth visit to the region since the start of the conflict on October 7.
In a potential move towards establishing alternative civilian rule in the Gaza Strip, Israel has advanced a pilot program that could serve as a precursor to replacing Hamas. The plan involves creating "humanitarian bubbles" inside the Palestinian enclave, where Palestinians with no affiliation to Hamas or other terror groups would be responsible for overseeing the distribution of humanitarian aid within specific neighborhoods.
