The Israeli military should refrain from attacks on civilian infrastructure in Gaza, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday, adding that the Russian authorities are deeply shaken by the latest airstrike conducted by West Jerusalem.
The comments were made shortly after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a strike on the Tabeen school in central Gaza City. The attack left more than 100 people dead, including women and children, according to Palestinian officials. They expect the death toll to rise, as some people have not been pulled from the rubble yet.
Zakharova expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the attack, stressing that tragedies like this undermine international efforts to deescalate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to achieve a ceasefire along with a prisoner exchange.
“We are calling on Israel to refrain from attacks on civilian targets. We believe there is no and can be no justification for such actions,” the spokeswoman said.
Shortly after the airstrike, the Israeli military claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that the school became a target because it had been used as a headquarters by Hamas, from which the group “planned and promoted terrorist operations against the IDF forces and the citizens of the State of Israel.”
According to a statement by Hamas, Israel’s claims that the school was used as a command center are “excuses to target civilians, schools, hospitals, and refugee tents, all of which are false pretexts and expose lies to justify its crimes.”
Tensions in the Middle East have been on the rise after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 last year. In response, West Jerusalem launched an offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in unprecedented destruction. The hostilities have so far claimed the lives of nearly 39,800 Palestinians, with over 92,000 others wounded in airstrikes and a ground offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.