Bodies of women, children, babies 'shot dead by Israeli forces' found in Gaza school

The bodies of more than a dozen Palestinians reportedly shot dead by Israeli forces were found at a school in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

At least 15 bullet-riddled and decomposed bodies were found piled up at the Shadia Abu Ghazala School west of the Jabalia refugee camp, in an area called Al-Faluja. The school was being used as a shelter for people displaced by Israel’s bombardment.

Eyewitnesses and relatives of the victims said they were shot at point-blank by Israel’s troops. The victims were reportedly killed overnight Tuesday-Wednesday, but this could not be confirmed.

Distressing footage of the bodies was obtained by Al Jazeera and shared on social media.

"As someone who lived through both the First Intifada in Gaza and is now witnessing Israel’s mass culling in the same area, I can see disturbing similarities between these two events."@emadmoussa on Jabalia camp being instrumental in Israel's attacks👇https://t.co/5FYuwUxUK7

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) December 8, 2023

Earlier on Wednesday, Israel shelled the UN-run Abu Hussein primary school for boys in Jabalia, killing and wounding dozens of people.

Israel has continuously targeted schools and hospitals, where tens of thousands of Palestinians displaced by the brutal Israeli air and ground campaign have taken shelter.

Entire families and multi-storey buildings have been wiped out in Israeli airstrikes, and most of the 18,600 people killed since October 7 are women and children.

There have been international calls to bring Israel to justice over its ongoing genocide in Gaza.