Civilians Caught in Crossfire in Maghazi: Raid on Homes and UNRWA School Leaves Dozens Hurt

Gaza City, Gaza Strip – At midday on Monday, Asaad Nteel and his extended family were terrified when a group of armed men burst into their home in eastern Maghazi without warning. What followed was a chaotic exchange of gunfire that trapped residents inside their houses and drew in displaced people sheltering at a nearby UNRWA-run school.

House Raid and Family Testimony

According to Nteel, the intruders identified themselves as members of the "Popular Forces Combating Terrorism," a small armed formation said by locals to operate in central Gaza. The gunmen ordered the family into a single room, detained Nteel's uncle and another man, and used several homes as firing positions.

"They broke the doors, detained my uncle and the other man, and took them away towards an area near the yellow line," Nteel told Al Jazeera. "We chose not to resist so they wouldn’t harm us or the children and women with us."

The fighters searched for alleged Hamas affiliates, accused Nteel of filming them, and confiscated his camera equipment despite his explanation that he and his wife were former wedding photographers.

Clashes Near UNRWA School

Witnesses say the armed men advanced from the direction of the so-called "yellow line" — the informal boundary between Israeli-controlled and Palestinian areas — toward residential streets and the Al-Maghazi Preparatory Boys School, which is housing large numbers of displaced civilians.

Displaced people inside the school reported that gunmen fired inside the compound. Mohammad Jouda, treated at Al-Aqsa Hospital, described chaos and panic as people tried to shelter from intense fire; he also said warplanes struck the school gate minutes later.

Local accounts say resistance from residents and people inside the school prompted covering fire from accompanying Israeli forces, which witnesses say allowed the armed men to withdraw. The gunfight in Maghazi was one episode in a larger series of clashes that day. Al-Aqsa Hospital and the Gaza Ministry of Health reported at least 10 Palestinians killed and dozens wounded.

Wider Pattern and Allegations

Analysts and residents report the emergence of several small, loosely organized armed groups operating near front lines across Gaza. Observers place these formations in locations including Beit Lahiya, eastern Gaza City (Shujayea), east of Deir al-Balah (the group tied to the Maghazi events), eastern Khan Younis, and Rafah. Residents say some of these groups operate with support or cover from Israeli forces — an allegation denied or unconfirmed by official Israeli sources in the reporting.

The Gaza Centre for Human Rights has accused Israel of supporting these groups, alleging that drones and other assets provided direct fire that aided the fighters' withdrawal and that such support amounts to a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The centre also documented previous incidents it attributes to the groups, including looting, kidnappings and killings, and called for an independent international investigation.

Human Toll and Reaction

Eyewitnesses described streets filled with people fleeing, wounded being transported to hospitals, and scenes of panic around sites sheltering displaced families. Social media footage circulated widely, prompting public outrage and calls for accountability.

Since the ceasefire said to have begun on October 11, the article cites reported figures of hundreds of Palestinians killed and thousands injured in Gaza; official tallies vary and are still being updated by health authorities and humanitarian organisations.

What remains clear: residents of Maghazi and humanitarian groups are calling for urgent protection for civilians and an independent probe into the assault and the broader pattern of armed groups operating within populated areas.