Tragedy at Gaza Shelter: One Dead, Multiple Injured as Artillery Shell Hits Deir Al-Balah School

DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA STRIP — A Palestinian was killed and several others sustained injuries after an Israeli artillery shell struck inside the Khawla Bint Al-Azwar School in central Gaza on Monday, September 7, 2026.

The facility, which was housing hundreds of displaced civilians seeking refuge from ongoing military operations, suffered a direct hit during a round of shelling in the central region of the strip. Emergency medical teams and civilian rescuers rushed to the scene immediately following the detonation to extract victims from the rubble and clear debris from damaged classrooms.

Paramedics transported the deceased individual alongside the wounded to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah. Hospital officials confirmed that several of the injured remain in critical condition, placing additional strain on the facilities already stretched emergency facilities and surgical units.

Witnesses at the site reported that the impact caused widespread panic among the displaced families staying at the compound, destroying makeshift shelters inside the school grounds. International relief agencies operating in the region have reiterated urgent calls for the protection of educational facilities and designated civilian shelters amid the continuing hostilities.

Local humanitarian coordinators working within Deir Al-Balah noted that the Khawla Bint Al-Azwar School was among dozens of educational structures repurposed to house families uprooted by expanding combat zones. Following the strike, terrified residents gathered their minimal belongings, attempting to secure space in already overcrowded municipal structures or informal tent encampments across the central district.

Aid workers on the ground emphasized that the destruction of critical shelter infrastructure further compounds the severe humanitarian crisis unfolding across the enclave. Basic necessities, including clean water, specialized medical supplies, and emergency rations, remain critically scarce as relief organizations struggle to deliver consistent aid to the displaced population amid persistent security risks.

Humanitarian agencies and international observers have renewed appeals for all parties involved in the conflict to uphold international humanitarian law, strictly adhering to the principles of distinction and proportionality. Officials warned that without immediate, verified measures to safeguard designated civilian refuge zones, casualties among vulnerable, displaced populations will continue to rise.