On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Israeli drones allegedly struck four Abu Tamam schools in Beit Lahia, North Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians were reportedly taking refuge. The attack reportedly killed and injured a number of people while evacuating the area, though sources did not provide a casualty toll or details of the victims. This assessment will be updated if more detailed information emerges.

Al Jazeera and the Anadolu Agency reported the incident, noting that Israeli forces had been using quadcopter drones with speakers to demand the refugees’ immediate evacuation. According to Al Jazeera, “thousands” were sheltering in the four schools in the area, which were exposed to Israeli shelling and gunfire. The same source mentioned that these schools were “the last centre” still holding the local population in North Gaza.

Abed Al Salam Abo Al Ez wrote on a Facebook post that apart from “intense artillery shelling,” the IDF had also “planted explosive barrels in residential neighbourhoods.” Despite this reference to artillery, source Mis Cinurina alleged “an Israeli airstrike” caused the devastation. User Amani Senwar posted a photo showing hundreds of people carrying their belongings in trash bags, on bicycles, or in strollers as they left the area. He denounced that the displaced had been threatened with “explosive robots” if they refused to leave the area.

“The sun will set on Beit Lahia today without its people,” wrote Nisreen Kh on Facebook, noting that the IDF continued to “fire shells around the shelters,” and had placed a “booby-trapped robot” near the gate of one of the schools. “If it is detonated, we will be facing a major massacre,” she lamented.

The exact time of the strike and further details are unknown.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

Due to the lack on information on civilian harm provided by the sources, Airwars has graded the civilian harm status of the incident as “weak.”