The Cypriot foreign ministry said it was “appalled” by the Israeli bombing of the Tabeen school in Gaza City which took place on Saturday.

In a post on X, the social media platform better known as Twitter, they said “international humanitarian law should always be respected”, while also reiterating Cyprus’ endorsement of a joint international statement on Gaza released by the leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar.

Cyprus’ upset at the bombing was shared by the Palestinian embassy in Nicosia, which said, “the massacre at the al-Tabeen school is a failure of the international community and a crime which must not go unpunished”.

“The occupying state of Israel must be held accountable and punished for its crimes along with all states or entities complicit in these atrocities”, they added, calling on the United Nations Security Council to “implement its resolutions and compel Israel to comply with international law and UN resolutions”.

They added, “we call on the Republic of Cyprus to take all necessary measures to punish the criminal regime and condemn the war crimes committed by the Israeli occupation regime in the occupied state of Palestine, including East Jerusalem.”

Condemnation of the bombing was also found further afield, with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy also saying he was “appalled” by the incident.

“Hamas must stop endangering civilians. Israel must comply with international humanitarian law. We need an immediate ceasefire to protect all civilians, free all hostages, and end all restrictions on aid,” he said.

The Turkish foreign ministry was more robust in its choice of language, saying, “Israel has committed a new crime against humanity by killing more than 100 civilians who were taking refuge in a school building.”

“This attack has once again shown that the Netanyahu government wants to sabotage negotiations towards a permanent ceasefire. International actors who do not take steps to stop Israel are complicit in these crimes,” they said.

The bombing had reportedly occurred during dawn prayers on Saturday, leading to many casualties.

Palestinian civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said in a televised news conference on Saturday that there had been “more than 93 martyrs, including 11 children and six women” as well as “unidentified remains”.

He added that around 350 families had been sheltering at the school, and that two floors had been hit; the upper floor housing families, and the lower floor which was used as a masjid.

The Israeli military denied the figures given, saying that “around 20 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants” had been at the site.

“The compound, and the mosque that was struck within it, served as an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility,” Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said.

The latest attack may jeopardise efforts towards bringing about a ceasefire, despite the joint statement issued by the leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar on Friday.

US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani had on Thursday said, “it is time to bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families.

“The time has come to conclude the ceasefire and hostages and detainees release deal,” they added.

They therefore called on all sides to attend a meeting in either Doha or Cairo on August 15 with the aim of “closing all remaining gaps and commencing the implementation of a deal without further delay”.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides swiftly endorsed the statement, saying “an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages is now more critical than ever.”

“As an integral partner of the region, Cyprus will continue to exert every effort and assist towards this end,” he added.