Tel Aviv  - Several members of Hamas' armed wing were among the more than 46 people killed at a UN school in the northern Gaza refugee camp of Jabaliya, a military spokesman in Tel Aviv charged.

He said Israel had the names of two of the Hamas militants killed, Imad Abu Askar and Hassan Abu Askar, and said that according to Israeli information they were members of a Hamas' rocket and mortar launching squad.

The squad had been firing mortar shells from the school territory at Israeli ground troops stationed several kilometres outside the refugee camp, he said. The ground troops responded by also firing mortar shells in the direction of the fire.

"This is not the first time that Palestinian militants have fired from within UN schools," he charged.

Local residents had earlier said Palestinian militants had indeed fired mortar shells at the Israel ground troops stationed outside Jabaliya shortly before the Israeli attack, but from near the school, not from inside.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, several Gaza residents expressed fury at both Palestinian militants for putting civilians at risk by firing at Israeli troops from behind and from the roofs of civilian buildings, and at Israel for disregarding their presence when returning fire.

UNWRA staff, the UN agency running the school, in turn said the building was clearly marked with a blue UN flag and that it had provided Israel with the GPS coordinates of all its schools and shelters in Gaza. UNWRA called for an independent investigation.

UNWRA said three Israeli shells landed right next to the school building on Thursday afternoon, killing at least 46 people, according to Gaza emergency services chief Mo'aweya Hassanein. The school and the yard were filled with Palestinians taking shelter in it. (dpa)