Reactions to the Attack on a School in Gaza; Israel Released Names of the Killed 'Militants'

As reactions continue to the deadly Israeli attack on a school in Gaza, which Palestinian officials say left over 90 dead, the Israeli army deemed the reported figures exaggerated and released the names of 19 militants killed in the attack. Meanwhile, as ceasefire negotiations for Gaza are set to begin in a few days, the extremist group Hamas stated that it is considering its response to the new agreement. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. The deadly attack on the 'Tabi'in' school in Gaza City has sparked widespread reactions, with the White House expressing deep concern over civilian casualties. In a recent statement, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, responding to a question about the attack, said, 'Once again, many civilians have been killed.' This Democratic presidential candidate, who was attending a campaign rally in Phoenix, also emphasized the need to reach an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. The killing of civilians in the attack on the school has previously drawn reactions and condemnation from several Arab countries, Turkey, France, the UK, and the European Union. Meanwhile, French and Reuters news agencies have reported additional details about the attack from a Hamas-controlled official. Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense, which is controlled by Hamas, told reporters on Saturday that the death toll has reached 93, including 11 children and six women. He added that about 350 families lived in the complex, with the upper floor as their residence and the lower floor used as a mosque. The Israeli army stated that the operation targeted 'the command center of two terrorist groups that were hiding in the mosque located in the Tabi'in school.' Israel also emphasized that 'precise munitions' were used in this attack, claiming that the missiles could not have caused the damage and casualties reported by Gaza officials. In another action, the Israeli army and the country's internal security agency, Shin Bet, released the names and images of 19 men, identifying them as members of the extremist Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups killed in the attack. Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israeli army, also stated in English that based on intelligence evidence, a senior Islamic Jihad official named Ashraf Joudeh was 'likely' present at the school during the attack, and his fate is currently unknown. The spokesperson also once again accused the extremist group Hamas of exploiting civilians as human shields and using civilian locations as their command centers. The deadly Israeli attack on the school in Gaza occurred while leaders from the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt presented a plan to finalize a ceasefire agreement and resume negotiations starting Thursday. Israel has stated that it will send its negotiators to this meeting, which is set to take place in Doha or Cairo. However, the extremist group Hamas has yet to respond to this plan, and an official from the group told Reuters on Saturday that they are considering their response. The Gaza war began with Hamas's incursion into Israeli territory, which left about 1,200 dead and over 250 hostages. In response to this incursion, Israel launched military operations across the Gaza Strip, which, according to officials under Hamas, has so far resulted in about 40,000 deaths.