At least 200 Palestinians including children and women killed in Israeli air attacks on UN-run schools in Northern Gaza: al-Fakhoora School in the Jabalia refugee camp and a second school in Tal al-Zaatar.

At least 50 people were killed in the attack on the al-Fakhoora School, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Saturday. It said the two attacks killed and injured hundreds of people.

Israeli attacks on schools, hospitals, and public facilities “seem to be a trend right now”, said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Multiple air raids inflicted severe destruction on both schools, he added.

“Almost 200 people have been killed in these attacks and the number is expected to increase as there are many under the rubble. People are using shovels and their bare hands to dig people out,” he explained.

Several hundred people were believed to have taken shelter at both schools, fleeing the non-stop Israeli attacks. The attack on al-Fakhoora is believed to have taken place in the early hours of the morning, while the attack on Tal al-Zaatar took place later in the day.

“Dead bodies are everywhere and medical teams are trying to evacuate the wounded,” said Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abou Azzoum, reporting about al-Fakhoora school.

He said with the continuing fighting amid Israel’s ground offensive in northern Gaza, many Palestinians have been forced to flee to United Nations-run schools in the vicinity of the Indonesian Hospital for protection.

“People taking shelter at al-Fakhoora School in Jabalia refugee camp, many with medical issues, thought they could find shelter from the violence there. But the Israeli army seems to be sending a message: Flee to the south of the Gaza Strip,” he said.

Witnesses described the massive destruction at the al-Fakhoora School.

“The scenes were horrifying. Corpses of women and children were on the ground. Others were screaming for help,” wounded survivor Ahmed Radwan told The Associated Press news agency by phone. Photos from a local hospital showed more than 20 bodies wrapped in bloodstained sheets.