Israel bombs UNRWA building in Gaza, labels it 'Hamas base'

The Israeli army has bombed a building belonging to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, local media reported.

Israel’s state broadcaster KAN said on Sunday that Israeli forces claimed the building was a "military command centre" used by the Palestinian group Hamas.

Apart from the attack, many people died in air strikes carried out by Israeli warplanes on two schools in Gaza where displaced families had taken shelter.

Israel had previously targeted UNRWA centres in Gaza.

Israel has pounded Gaza since October 7 last year.

Nearly 34,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and 78,000 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Nearly seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85 percent of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians there.