Israel Strikes Hamas Command Center Located in Gaza City School

Jerusalem, 20 August, 2024 (TPS) -- The Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas command control center embedded inside a Gaza City school compound, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Tuesday.

According to the IDF, terrorists operating in the compound of the Mustafa Khaft school used it as a base for planning and launching attacks.

“The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law and operates from within civilian infrastructure and shelters in the Gaza Strip, brutally exploiting the Gazan civilian population for its terrorist activities,” the army said.

To mitigate the risk of harming civilians, the IDF said it used precise munitions and monitored the school compound through aerial surveillance.

Earlier in the day, the army announced the recovery of six Israelis killed in captivity from a tunnel in Khan Yunis. All six hostages were previously confirmed as alive and in good health at various points after October 7, with some even appearing in Hamas hostage propaganda videos.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 105 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.