Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School

An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school resulted in the deaths of around 27 people, with Israel asserting that the compound was a base for Hamas militants, according to Reuters. Contrarily, local media reported that the school sheltered displaced individuals due to the ongoing conflict. Israel claimed that the United Nations school in Nuseirat, central Gaza, contained a concealed Hamas command post. Israel alleged that the site harbored Hamas fighters who were involved in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which initiated the current war now in its eighth month. The Israeli military stated that it took measures to minimize civilian casualties before the airstrike. However, Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run government media office, dismissed Israel’s allegations, accusing it of fabricating stories to justify the attack.

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Israeli Ceasefire Negotiations and Post-War Reconciliation Talks

This incident occurs as Israel insists there will be no pause in fighting during ceasefire negotiations. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh emphasized that the group would only accept a complete end to the conflict and Israeli withdrawal as part of a ceasefire agreement. He stated that the resistance factions would consider any deal that involves a full cessation of aggression, complete Israeli withdrawal, and a prisoner exchange.

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Discussions between Hamas and the Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas regarding a post-war order in the Palestinian territories will take place in China in mid-June. China and Russia have already hosted two previous rounds of reconciliation talks.

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