Israeli strike on Gaza university kills three

The Islamic University in Gaza City was struck twice on Sunday, October 25. The attack killed three people and wounded eight, according to Al Shifa hospital. The university condemned the strikes, and Gaza’s Education Ministry described them as part of continuing attacks on education.

Two sources at the university said the people killed were employees and the wounded were students. The hospital received the three bodies and treated the injured after what was described as a drone strike. The Israeli army said it had targeted a Hamas military-wing figure and was reviewing the incident.

The strike came during a period when Gaza’s education system was already severely damaged. Gaza’s Education Ministry said 95% of academic buildings had been damaged during the war. It also said 10 students and educators had been killed during the previous six days, showing the wider danger facing education workers and learners.

A drone strike is an attack carried out using a remotely operated or automated unmanned aircraft. The drone may observe an area, identify a target, and release or guide a munition. Because it attacks from above, people on the ground may have little warning.

The munition’s explosion can kill or wound people near the impact point. It can also damage walls, classrooms, offices, roads, and nearby buildings. In the university incident, Al Shifa hospital said three bodies arrived and eight wounded people were treated after a drone strike. Two sources said the dead were employees and the injured were students.

The effects depend on the weapon, the target, and who is nearby. The Israeli army said it diverted the munition after identifying uninvolved people in the area. It said the action was intended to reduce harm, but the incident remained under review and the army did not specify whether the university deaths were accidental.

The university strike caused 11 reported casualties: three people were killed and eight were wounded. Al Shifa hospital reported receiving the three bodies and treating the eight injured people. University sources said the dead were employees and the injured were students.

The wider Gaza toll that Sunday included five additional deaths reported by the civil defense agency. Three people were killed in strikes around Khan Yunis, one in Deir al Balah, and one northwest of Gaza City. These deaths were separate from the university strike.

The figures show both the immediate impact at the campus and the broader violence across Gaza. In total, the article reports eight deaths connected to the university incident and other locations combined, plus eight injuries at the university. One more person was wounded by Israeli gunfire in Jabalia refugee camp.

The Israeli army said its intended target was a member of Hamas’s military wing. It gave that explanation after being asked about the strike at the Islamic University. The army did not say that the university itself was the intended target.

According to the army, forces identified uninvolved people in the area after the operation began. It then said the munition was diverted. In this context, diverted means redirected away from its original aim to lower the risk to people not involved in the fighting.

The army said the incident was under review. It did not specify whether the people killed at the university were hit accidentally. The university and Gaza’s Education Ministry condemned the attack, while hospital and university sources reported three deaths and eight injuries. The competing accounts leave the circumstances of the casualties subject to the stated review.

Universities need usable buildings for teaching, research, administration, and student support. When most academic buildings are damaged, classes may stop or move elsewhere. Students and educators can lose safe places to learn and work, while institutions struggle to preserve records, equipment, and regular courses.

The article gives a stark example from Gaza. The Education Ministry said 95% of buildings belonging to academic institutions had been damaged during the war. The Islamic University strike then killed three people and wounded eight, with university sources identifying employees among the dead and students among the injured.

The damage also threatens education’s future, not only its present operation. The ministry said 10 students and educators had been killed during the previous six days. Without functioning buildings and safety, study may be interrupted for long periods, and rebuilding will be needed before universities can fully resume their work.

A truce is an arrangement in which opposing sides agree to pause or reduce fighting. It can create space for people to move, receive aid, or begin other activities. A truce does not necessarily mean every hostile act has stopped unless its terms require that.

The article says a truce had been in effect in Gaza for more than a year. Yet violence continued. On October 25, the Islamic University was targeted twice, five people were reported killed elsewhere, and another person was wounded by Israeli gunfire in Jabalia refugee camp.

This gap between an official truce and events on the ground matters because civilians may still face danger. The article does not explain the truce’s exact terms or why the violence continued. It does show that the truce had failed to completely halt violence, leaving universities, students, and other communities exposed.

Under established international humanitarian law, parties must distinguish military targets from civilians and civilian objects. Universities are generally civilian objects unless they are being used for military purposes. Attackers must not deliberately target civilians, and expected civilian harm must not be excessive compared with the anticipated military advantage.

The rules also require feasible precautions. These can include checking the target, choosing means and timing that reduce civilian danger, and cancelling or changing an attack when the risk becomes clear. The army’s statement that it diverted the munition after identifying uninvolved people relates to that kind of precaution.

The article does not establish whether the strike violated international humanitarian law. It reports three deaths, eight injuries, the army’s stated target, and an ongoing review. A legal assessment would require reliable facts about the intended target, the university’s use, the weapon, expected harm, and what precautions were possible.