GAZA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least five Palestinians were killed and several others injured Friday evening in an Israeli artillery strike on a school for displaced people in the Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, Gaza's Civil Defense said.

Mahmoud Basal, the Civil Defense spokesman, said the school was hit while civilians were inside for a wedding celebration.

Basal said that the school, located near a hospital, remained under continuous attack, which delayed the arrival of rescue teams. He said that some of the injured were evacuated using civilian vehicles.

Additional shells fired after the initial strike worsened the situation, he added, noting that most of the dead were children.

Basal condemned attacks on schools and shelters for civilians as serious violations of international law, calling on the international community to protect civilians.

Local sources reported that Israeli tanks continued shelling eastern Tuffah, preventing ambulances from reaching the site for hours.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Friday night that "during operational activity in the area ... a number of suspicious individuals were identified in command structures west of the Yellow line."

"Shortly after identification, the troops fired at the suspicious individuals to eliminate the threat," it said, adding, "The IDF is aware of the claim regarding casualties in the area, and the details are under review." ■