Tel Aviv, Jun 6 (IANS): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it had attacked Hamas men inside a UNRWA school in central Gaza.

The statement added that it had taken precautions not to harm civilians.

The IDF in a statement said, "The IDF fighter jets have conducted a precise strike on a Hamas compound embedded inside an UNRWA school in the Nuseriat area and several terrorists were eliminated."

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari in the statement said that the compound was used by members of Hamas' Nukhba Brigade, considered as an elite unit of the Hamas military.

The army spokesman also said that the Hamas terrorists along with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were directing terror attacks from the area of the school.

The IDF also said that the terrorists who were killed were planning to carry out terror attacks on the army and added that the military had taken several steps to minimise the civilian casualties.

While the IDF did not state the number of people killed, Arab media sources quoting Hamas Media department said that 27 people were killed in the Israeli attack.

The indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas are continuing in Cairo and Doha at the behest of the US with Qatar and Egypt taking the lead.

Israel has agreed for a permanent ceasefire.

According to the sources, an Israeli fighter jet bombed at least three classrooms with several missiles, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a statement, Hamas-run Gaza government media office condemned Israel's attack on the school as a "terrible massacre," saying that the continued implementation of these attacks by the Israeli army "is clear evidence of the crime of genocide committed against civilians".

The office said that Israel and the US "should bear full responsibility for these crimes that endanger humanity and violate international law".

The Israeli side has yet to respond to the incident.