The Israel Defence Force says it is investigating an attack on a United Nations school in the northern Gaza Strip which was being used as a shelter by civilians to escape the fighting.
Initial reports say that at least 15 people were killed when an Israeli tank shell hit the school in Beit Hanoun.
IDF Gaza Division Commander General Micky Edelstein said the Israelis were investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack.
"We use various technology, like radio or messaging to ask the population
to leave [before an attack]," he said. "We need to investigate what happened here."
A UN official speaking to the AFP news agency said they had asked
people to leave the school complex just before the attack.
"We were talking to the shelter asking them to leave, as we feared it was a
potential target," he said.
While the Israeli military claims it has advanced missiles capable of
hitting precise sections of buildings, tank shells and other heavy
artillery munitions typically do not have sophisticated guidance
capabilities.
