Israeli forces this morning said they've found rocket launchers and mortar shells inside schools meant for small children in Gaza, seeking to back their claim that Hamas has using educational and medical facilities for their operations.
"RPGs, mortar shells, and other weapons were found by IDF troops inside a kindergarten and an elementary school in northern Gaza. Kindergartens should store toys, not deadly weapons," the Israel Defence Forces said on X, sharing a video of their raid at a kindergarten.
The video showed mortar shells stacked on one another in the narrow corner of a building. Another post carried photos of the rocket launchers and ammunitions that they seized from the school.
Hospitals in Gaza too have become the latest centre of fighting, standing hundreds of patients and thousands others who had taken shelter.
Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shield and using schools and hospitals as their hideouts, as they come under fierce criticism for striking civilian infrastructure and refugee camps.
Earlier, they had claimed to have found explosive body vests and hand grenades in the basement of a hospital, besides makeshift infrastructure that indicated hostages were held here. They also found an electrified tunnel with a bulletproof door that led to the hospital from near a Hamas commander's house.
Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza following the October 7 terror attacks in which about 1,200 people were killed. Over 200 civilians and soldiers were kidnapped and are being held in Gaza.
