Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip - July 27, 2024

At least 30 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 others injured by Israeli bombing on a field hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, the Gaza-based health authorities said on Saturday.

The hospital was located inside the Khadija School, which accommodates thousands of displaced people, and the Israeli army bombed the hospital with three missiles from fighter jets, the Hamas-run media office said on Saturday, noting that Israeli attacks have put enormous pressure on medical teams and caused a shortage of health and medical supplies in Gaza.

Local residents who survived the bombing recalled the horrifying moment of the Israeli attack in interviews with China Media Group later on Saturday.

"The fierce missile attack happened all of a sudden. About three missiles hit here. The whole place was engulfed by smoke and flames. The bodies of the victims were everywhere. We didn't know what was going on at the time. We tried to rescue the wounded, but there were too many people," said Mohammed Afana, a displaced person.

"As we all know, Deir al-Balah is a 'humanitarian safety zone'. Many Gazans followed Israel's order to evacuate to Deir al-Balah or areas further west from Gaza City. This means that Israel gathered us in a so-called 'safe' place and then attacked us," said Mahmoud Khatib, another witness.

The Israeli airstrike completely flattened the main building where the hospital operated. Many people remaining unaccounted for after the bombing are believed to have been buried under the rubble, locals said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Saturday that based on precise intelligence, the Israeli Air Force struck "terrorists" operating in a Hamas command and control center inside the Khadija School compound in central Gaza.

The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip had risen to 39,258, the Gaza-based health authorities said Saturday.  

SHOTLIST:
Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip - July 27, 2024
1. Damaged school buildings after Israeli air strike;
2. Various of ruins, debris on ground;
3. Plate on ground reading "Keep your school clean";
4. People searching for anything useful in rubble;
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed Afana, displaced man:
"The fierce missile attack happened all of a sudden. About three missiles hit here. The whole place was engulfed by smoke and flames. The bodies of the victims were everywhere. We didn't know what was going on at the time. We tried to rescue the wounded, but there were too many people.";
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahmoud Khatib, displaced man:
"As we all know, Deir al-Balah is a 'humanitarian safety zone'. Many Gazans followed Israel's order to evacuate to Deir al-Balah or areas further west from Gaza City. This means that Israel gathered us in a so-called 'safe' place and then attacked us.";
7. Various of damaged buildings, debris, people searching;
8. Various of displaced people, their belongings.

[Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]