Israeli strike on Gaza school targeted one Hamas figure, BBC told

Warning: This story contains details which some people may find upsetting

An Israeli air strike that killed multiple children at a former school twelve days ago had been targeting one local Hamas figure, the BBC has been told.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a Hamas “command and control centre” had been embedded inside the compound in Gaza City, which it targeted in a “precise strike” on 21 September.

It killed 22 people, including 13 children and six women, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The school, closed during the war, had been housing displaced people, the health ministry said.

One young girl, Amal, told the BBC she had been inside the school building when it was hit and saw bodies “torn apart”.

“What have we done as children? We wake up and go to sleep terrified,” she said.

“At least protect the schools; we don’t have schools or homes – where do we go?”

Sources have told the BBC that one of those killed was a local Hamas figure, meaning many civilians died due to a single main target.