The deadly strike comes as Israel faces mounting accusations of intentionally targeting journalists in Gaza, which it denies.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 128 journalists have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s yearlong offensive in the enclave. CPJ has warned that more journalists were killed in the first 10 weeks of Israel’s offensive in Gaza than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.
Earlier this week, the Israel Defense Forces named six journalists working with Al Jazeera, saying they had been “exposed as Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists.” CPJ responded to the claim saying Israel has “repeatedly made similar unproven claims without producing credible evidence.”
The network has also denied the accusations as “a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region.”
Dozens killed in Khan Younis and chaos at northern Gaza hospital
Meanwhile, in Gaza, the health ministry said that 38 people had been killed and dozens injured in Israeli strikes on the southern city of Khan Younis. It also said that Israeli forces had “stormed and are present inside” the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia as they continued a deadly assault on the enclave’s north,.
The health ministry said hundreds of patients, medical staff and displaced Palestinians who had sought shelter at the hospital amid widespread Israeli strikes in northern Gaza had been detained by Israeli forces.
“The situation inside the hospital is catastrophic in every sense of the word,” the health ministry said.
The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News on the strikes in Khan Younis or the situation at the hospital Friday morning.
Israel has waged a weekslong ramped up offensive in northern Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of a spiraling humanitarian crisis as access to food, water and other vital supplies dwindle.
More than 600 people have been killed in the offensive, according to local health officials.
The IDF said Friday that its forces were continuing their assault on the Jabalia refugee camp, from which thousands of people have fled amid heavy airstrikes. It said its troops were also active in both southern and central Gaza, where Israeli forces launched a deadly strike Thursday on a school in the area of the Nuseirat refugee camp.
At least 18 people were killed and 30 injured in the strike, with children and women among the casualties, Dr. Mohammed Al-Mughair of Gaza’s Civil Defense agency told NBC News.
Al-Mughair said the strike appeared to target a prayer hall inside the school, which he said housed a large number of displaced families.
The IDF said its forces were targeting Hamas militants operating inside a “command and control center” in the school compound. The IDF did not say whether any Hamas members were killed in the strike, but said it “makes great efforts to prevent harming uninvolved civilians.”
Doha Madani and Associated Press contributed.
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