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Middle East conflict

Israeli military says strike on school killed some Hamas, Islamic Jihad commanders

The use of civilian facilities is "a well-known strategy of Islamist groups, IDF Spokeswoman Anna Ukolova

TEL AVIV, August 11. /TASS/. The Israel Defense Forces eliminated several Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders in the recent strike on the Al-Taba'een school compound in Gaza, IDF Spokeswoman Anna Ukolova told TASS.

"At this time, the identities of 19 liquidated terrorists, who were in the mosque at the time of the attack have been confirmed. Among them are Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, including commanders of various units," Ukolova said. "The strike targeted one of the mosque's floors with high-precision shells."

According to the spokeswoman, a video that was shot on Saturday following the strike shows that the compound and the mosque itself remained intact."

"According to intelligence data, they used this compound as an operational center to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against Israel," Ukolova continued. "This is far from the first example of terrorists using schools, mosques and hospitals as operational centers."

The use of civilian facilities is "a well-known strategy of Islamist groups," she said. There have been many examples of "Hamas deliberately endangering the residents of the Gaza Strip," according to the spokeswoman.

Ukolova said that before the August 10 strike, the Israeli military "took various measures to reduce the danger to civilians in the Gaza Strip."

"The strike wasn’t carried out until after receiving accurate intelligence that terrorists were in the strike zone," Ukolova said.

She also accused Gazan authorities of overstating casualty figures, noting that "this is not the first time Hamas disseminated false data."

The IDF said on August 10 that it fired three precision munitions at a "Hamas operational command center housed inside a mosque in the Al-Taba'een school compound." At least 93 people, including 11 children and six women, were killed in the shelling, according to the Palestinian enclave's civil defense service.

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Palestine Israel

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