At least 15 children and eight women were among the 31 Palestinians killed in an Israeli air strike on the Khadija School in Deir al Balah in central Gaza, the government media office has said.

Earlier, the Gaza government media office said on Saturday that 31 Palestinians, including children, were killed and 100 others injured when Israeli warplanes struck the school, which also served as a field hospital.

In a statement, the media office stated that three missiles hit a facility sheltering thousands of displaced people.

The Israeli military admitted earlier Saturday to targeting the school, claiming it housed a Hamas command centre, according to a statement from army spokesperson Avichay Adraee.

Hamas condemned the strike, asserting that the school housed “displaced innocent civilians, mostly women and children.”

Throughout the war, the Israeli military has urged Palestinians to move to these so-called humanitarian zones. Still, these areas have also been attacked, drawing condemnation from international organisations and governments.