Gaza officials say 18 dead in Israeli strike on school, including six UN staff | First Thing

UN chief condemns dramatic violations of international humanitarian law'. Plus, Republicans dismayed by Trump's debate

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An Israeli airstrike on a school being used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians has killed 18 people, Gaza's civil defence agency said. The UN's Palestinian refugee agency, Unrwa, reported that six of its staff were among the dead.

What did the UN say after the airstrike? These dramatic violations of international humanitarian law need to stop now," said the UN chief, Antonio Guterres. Unrwa head, Philippe Lazzarini, said: Humanitarian staff, premises and operations have been blatantly and unabatedly disregarded since the beginning of the war".

What is the humanitarian cost of the war? About 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage in Hamas's 7 October assault on southern Israel. More than 41,000 people have been killed in Israel's military offensive on Gaza, according to the health ministry in the territory.

Here are the debate's stats: An estimated 67 million people tuned in, up 31% on June's Trump-Biden debate. A CNN flash poll of debate watchers showed 63% to 37% thought that Harris had performed better.