GAZA CITY — July 11, 2025
As the Israel-Hamas war grinds through its 22nd month, violence in Gaza shows no sign of slowing. In one of the most devastating developments this week, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that at least six people were killed in a series of Israeli strikes on Friday, including five civilians sheltering inside a school in northern Gaza.
According to the agency, Halima Al-Saadia School in Jabalia Al-Nazla — repurposed as a shelter for displaced families — was struck by Israeli fire, claiming five lives and leaving several others injured. The school, once a haven for learning, has now become the latest symbol of human suffering in a conflict that continues to destroy civilian spaces.
In a separate attack in Gaza City, at least one more person was confirmed dead, with multiple others injured, the civil defense added.
“We were just trying to survive”
In central Gaza, the Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat reported receiving numerous casualties after Israeli forces allegedly opened fire near an aid distribution point — a place where desperate families were queuing for food and basic supplies. Eyewitness accounts suggest panic and chaos erupted as gunfire rang out.
“We were just trying to survive,” said a young man injured in the incident, speaking to local media before being taken in for treatment. “We came for food. And then the bullets came.”
A War With No Safe Zone
This latest wave of violence underlines a growing reality in Gaza: there are no safe spaces left. Homes, schools, hospitals, and even places distributing aid have become targets — intentional or not — in a conflict that has devastated an already shattered region.
Media access to Gaza remains heavily restricted, and foreign journalists are mostly reliant on local sources, NGOs, and aid agencies. AFP noted it could not independently verify the death tolls due to limited access and ongoing fighting in large parts of the enclave.
Still, the accounts from civilians on the ground paint a chilling picture.
One Palestinian resident from southern Gaza, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, described a landscape of destruction around the city of Khan Yunis: “There’s gunfire all day, air strikes come without warning, and tanks are stationed in every direction. Entire areas around Al-Maslakh — including camps and farmland — are being bulldozed into dust.”
No End in Sight
The Israeli military has yet to release an official statement regarding the strikes reported on Friday. However, it has previously said that it targets Hamas militants and infrastructure, not civilians — though mounting evidence and growing international concern have raised serious questions about how this war is being waged.
As humanitarian agencies plead for ceasefires and safe corridors, and as Gaza’s remaining hospitals struggle to cope with an influx of wounded civilians, the human cost of this prolonged conflict continues to rise.
And for the families seeking shelter in schools, waiting in line for aid, or simply trying to stay alive — safety feels like a distant, disappearing hope.
