Iran-Israel Update: Gaza families flee Khan Yunis as Israel attacks Gaza school, killing more than 100 during morning prayers

The official Palestinian news agency reported this morning that Israel attacked a school housing displaced people in Gaza, killing more than 100 Palestinians and injuring dozens, while the Israeli army said it struck a Hamas command center.

“The Israeli strikes targeted displaced people who were performing dawn prayers, causing a rapid increase in casualties,” the Hamas-controlled Gaza government’s press office said in a statement.

The Israeli military said in a statement that its air force “struck a command and control center where Hamas terrorists and commanders were hiding.”

“The Israeli Air Force carried out precision strikes on Hamas terrorists operating from a Hamas command and control center established inside the Al-Taba’een school, adjacent to a mosque in Daraj Tufa, a place of refuge for residents of Gaza City.”

The statement said that before the strike, “multiple measures were taken to reduce the risk of harm to civilians, including the use of precision-guided munitions, aerial surveillance and intelligence information.”

Britain is deeply concerned about Israel’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of eight Norwegian diplomats dealing with the Palestinian Authority, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.

A spokesman for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday: “We are deeply concerned about Israel’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of eight Norwegian diplomats who were dealing with the Palestinian Authority. Norway has long played a unique and valuable role in supporting peace between Israel and Palestine. We urge Israel to reconsider.”

Just the day before, Israel revoked the ambassadorial credentials of eight Norwegian diplomats to China.

Yesterday, the Israeli army launched a new offensive against the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, targeting Hamas militants. The Israeli military claims that Hamas militants are still active in the city despite repeated offensives. Meanwhile, US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have again urged Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire. Israel’s withdrawal order triggered another Palestinian evacuation from the heavily damaged eastern district of Khan Yunis, where many had returned less than two weeks ago – the Israeli army last invaded the city in July.

Thousands of people fled the city on Thursday, carrying essential items such as small gas cans, mattresses, tents, backpacks and blankets. Medical staff at the city’s Nasser Hospital said a series of Israeli airstrikes on the southern city killed at least 21 Palestinians. Israeli bombing also continued in central Gaza on Friday, with the bodies of eight Palestinians, all women and children, being brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after a series of airstrikes that hit the town of Deir al-Balah and the Nusseirat refugee camp.

This is at least the third major Israeli military incursion into Khan Yunis, where Israeli and U.S. officials say they believe Hamas’s newly appointed top leader, Yahya Sinwar, one of the architects of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, may be hiding.

The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, pledged allegiance to Sinwar and promised to implement his decision. Abu Obaida, Hamas’s chief spokesman, said Ismail Haniyeh’s quick departure “shows Hamas’ unity and strength.”

With tensions high along the Israel-Lebanon border, an Israeli drone struck an SUV in the Lebanese city of Sidon yesterday, killing a Hamas official named Samer al-Haj on the main road leading to the southern port city, Lebanese state media reported.

The blast set Haji’s car on fire outside the Ain el-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp, where Lebanese media reported that Haji was in charge of security. Israel confirmed that the attack targeted Haji, calling him a senior Hamas commander and accusing him of recruiting militants to attack Israel and directing rocket launches.

In the Gaza Strip, an airstrike in Khan Yunis hit the home of Abu Muammar, killing a Palestinian television journalist, his wife and three daughters.

Another airstrike hit tents housing displaced people in Mahwahi, a coastal community west of Khan Yunis that the Israeli military has designated as a humanitarian zone, killing a journalist for Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV and five other people. A third airstrike targeted a car in Khan Yunis.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant in a phone call yesterday that escalating tensions in the Middle East were “not in anyone’s interest,” while stressing the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the State Department said.

“The secretary reiterated the United States’ strong commitment to Israel’s security and discussed that escalation is not in the interest of either party,” the State Department said in a statement.

“The Secretary reiterated the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza to secure the release of hostages, allow for the massive delivery of humanitarian aid, and create conditions for broader regional stability. He also stressed the importance of reaching a diplomatic solution that would allow both Israeli and Lebanese families to return home,” the statement added.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi missile launcher and an unmanned surface vessel in Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen over the past 24 hours.

The armed forces also destroyed two Houthi drones over the Red Sea, the U.S. Central Command said in a post on the X website.

The weapons “pose a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces and commercial shipping in the region,” the statement said.

“Reckless and dangerous behavior by the Iran-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security,” U.S. Central Command said.

U.S. troops in Syria came under drone attack, a U.S. official said Reuters last night, but according to initial reports, no one was injured.

“Initial reports indicate no one was injured but medical assessment is still ongoing. We are currently conducting a damage assessment,” the official added on condition of anonymity.

Israel stepped up its bombardment of Gaza, striking two schools, killing at least 40 people and ordering a mass evacuation.

Its allies are now preparing for retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah over the killings of two senior commanders in Tehran and Beirut.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris briefly stopped a campaign rally in Arizona on Friday to address a crowd protesting the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“Let me speak to what I think we heard,” she said, referring to a group to her right. “Let me speak to what I think I heard. Let me speak to that for a moment, and then I’m going to get back to the matter at hand.”

“I’ve been clear: Now is the time for a ceasefire and a hostage deal. Now is the time, and the president and I are working around the clock every day to get a ceasefire and get the hostages home. So, I respect your voice.”

Harris’ rally had previously been stopped by protesters, after which she told them “I’m going to give a speech now.”