Aerial images of the school compound before and after the Israeli strike. Photo: IDF.

JNS.org – The IDF and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), in a joint operation on Saturday, conducted a precision strike on a Hamas command and control center embedded in a mosque in the Al-Taba’een school compound in Gaza City.

At least 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were killed, the military said.

Today, the IDF and ISA struck terrorists operating in a Hamas command and control center, which was embedded inside a mosque in the Al-Taba’een school compound. Following an intelligence investigation, it can be confirmed at this time that at least 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad… pic.twitter.com/97fw1Q9cHy

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 10, 2024

Immediately after the attack, the Hamas-run Palestinian Civil Defense organization claimed that more than 90 people died in the strike.

Vice President Kamala Harris, asked during an event in Phoenix for her reaction to the Israeli airstrike, told reporters later on Saturday that “there are far too many civilians who have been killed” in Gaza.

However, the IDF refuted the claim.

“The strike was carried out using three precise munitions, which, according to professional analysis, cannot cause the amount of damage that is being reported by the Hamas-run Government Information Office in Gaza. Furthermore, no severe damage was caused to the compound where the terrorists were situated,” the army said.

Based on Israeli intelligence, approx. 20 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, including senior commanders, were operating from the compound struck at the Al-Tabaeen school, using it to carry out terrorist attacks.
The compound, and the mosque that was struck within it, served as…

— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) August 10, 2024

“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of a small warhead, aerial surveillance, and intelligence information,” it added.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a video statement:

“After we received clear intelligence of the threat posed by these terrorists, and in accordance with international humanitarian law, we took numerous steps to mitigate the risk to civilians. The IDF conducted a precision strike against the terrorists in one specific building of the compound—an area where according to our intelligence, no women and children were present.”

“After we received clear intelligence of the threat posed by these terrorists, and in accordance with international humanitarian law, we took numerous steps to mitigate the risk to civilians. The IDF conducted a precision strike against the terrorists in one specific building of… pic.twitter.com/vViGhLzU4b

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 10, 2024

Hagari also said intelligence indicated that there was a “high probability” the strike had killed the commander of Islamic Jihad’s Central Camps Brigade, Ashraf Juda.

“Increasingly in recent months, Hamas has focused on exploiting school buildings, often where civilians are sheltering inside, to use them as military facilities, command and control centers, for storing weapons, and to execute terrorist attacks,” said Hagari.