MOSCOW

Moscow is deeply shocked by the Israeli bombing of the Al-Taba'een school, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Saturday.

Such tragedies undermine international efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, Zakharova said in a statement.

“We confirm our principled and consistent position on the need for strict observance of the norms of international humanitarian law,” she said.

Zakharova emphasized that Israeli strikes that cause casualties among civilians in the Gaza Strip are “systematic.”

“We call on the Israeli side to refrain from attacks on civilian targets. We believe that there is no justification for them and there can be no justification,” she said.

The spokeswoman noted that Israeli actions contravene decisions of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly that demand a stop to the fighting in the Gaza Strip and establish unhindered humanitarian access to the enclave.

"We reiterate the need for the immediate implementation of these resolutions, as required by the UN Charter, which would ensure the establishment of a long-term cease-fire, provide the necessary assistance to the residents of the Gaza Strip and create conditions for transferring efforts to resolve the conflict to the political and diplomatic plane," she said.

At least 100 Palestinians were killed early Saturday when the Israeli military bombed the Al-Taba'een school in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in eastern Gaza City.

The school was housing displaced residents. Dozens were also injured in the attack.

Israeli military aircraft targeted the school while worshippers were performing the fajr (dawn) prayer, the Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported.

The Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip has killed nearly 39,800 victims since October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.