GAZA, Aug 2, 2024 (BSS/XINHUA) - At least 15 Palestinians were killed during an Israeli bombing of a school sheltering displaced families in the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza City on Thursday, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.

The Israeli airstrike targeted the Dalal Mughrabi school, and the victims included women and children, WAFA said.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the Israeli Air Force, based on intelligence, struck "terrorists" operating inside a compound within the Dalal Mughrabi School.

"The compound was used by Hamas as a hideout for commanders and operatives and to plan terror attacks against the State of Israel," said the IDF.

It noted that prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, surveillance, and additional intelligence.

Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage.

During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 35 people and wounded 55 others in the enclave, bringing the total death toll to 39,480 and injuries to 91,128 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement Thursday.