Al-Tabin School Attack ‘Deliberately Timed to Cause Maximum Casualties’: Probe

The investigation carried out by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification agency into the Israeli airstrike on al-Tabin school has concluded that the attack was deliberately timed to inflict maximum casualties, resulting in the deaths of around 100 people, including women and children.

The probe by Sanad determined that the Saturday morning attack targeted a large number of displaced people sheltering at the school, with evidence suggesting the strike was calculated to cause widespread loss of life.

To reach its conclusions, Sanad analyzed survivor testimonies, examined photographs of the bomb remnants, and reviewed images showing how the bombs penetrated the mosque's ceilings attached to the school. The documentation of the immediate aftermath further supported the findings.

According to Sanad, the Israeli military launched two guided missiles during dawn prayers, strategically timing the attack. The missiles penetrated the mosque’s roof, passing through the first floor, where the women’s prayer area is located, and exploded on the ground floor, where the men’s prayer hall is situated.

Sanad contested the Israeli military’s claim that the strike targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters in the men’s prayer hall. The report highlighted that the attack occurred during a time when civilians were praying in the mosque, citing evidence that fires broke out in areas beyond the claimed target, resulting in civilian casualties.

“The evidence strongly suggests a deliberate and calculated attack aimed at causing widespread loss of life,” stated Sanad.

In the aftermath, Al Jazeera's correspondent Anas al-Sharif reported from inside al-Tabin School, describing the scene as a massacre of civilians during their dawn prayers. The school, housing hundreds of displaced Palestinians, was struck by several missiles, leading to over 100 deaths and numerous injuries.

The devastation was evident in the school’s mosque, where blood, clothing fragments, and body parts were scattered. A missile had penetrated the upper level, killing and wounding dozens of women who were praying.

Despite the danger, many families have returned to the school seeking shelter, with no other options available. One man, who had returned with his ill son, described the horror of the attack, saying, "We have nowhere to go, so we returned to the school, where the most basic necessities of life are totally absent."

On Saturday, Israel defended the airstrike, claiming it targeted 20 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters. However, this justification follows a pattern, as seen last month when Israel killed at least 90 Palestinians in al-Mawasi, stating the attack was aimed at Hamas commanders.

Since the beginning of its genocidal war, the Israeli regime has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, with tens of thousands more injured. Analysts told Al Jazeera that Israel’s military strategy involves disproportionate violence, which it uses as a deterrent through widespread destruction.