In a ongoing war in Gaza, Israel has attacked a United Nations-run school sheltering displaced civilians, killing at least 18 people, including six staff members of the UN Palestinian relief agency, Unrwa. The al-Jaouni school in Nuseirat which was home to some 12,000 displaced people was struck on Wednesday, the fifth time that the school has been hit since the conflict began.
UN and World Leaders Condemn Attack as a Breach of Humanitarian Law
International leaders denounced the assault against the school. UN Secretary-General António Guterres was among world leaders condemning the attack as an affront to international conventions protecting civilians at war. "These dramatic violations of international humanitarian law need to stop now," Guterres said in a statement, referring to the assault as "totally unacceptable."
Similarly outraged, European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said: "The disregard of basic principles of international humanitarian law, especially protection of civilians, cannot and should not be accepted by the international community." Germany's foreign ministry calls for Israel to immediately take all necessary measures to protect UN staff and aid workers
Israel Claims Hamas Was Using School as Command Centre
Military officials in Israel then also justified the attack, claiming that there was a Hamas "command and control centre" operating from within the school-a claim that they so far have not been able to prove. Of late, Israel has accused militants in Gaza of using schools serving as shelters to protect their activities. But the recurrence of attacks on civilian shelters has drawn enough ire from the international community.
Rising Death Toll and Demolition
This strike has become the deadliest to have hit the Unrwa staff since the start of the war; it claimed the lives of the shelter manager among other humanitarian workers. "Since the beginning of the war, humanitarian staff, premises, and operations have been grossly disrespected," Philippe Lazzarini, the head of Unrwa, said on X, formerly named Twitter.
The education system in Gaza is on the verge of a near-total collapse. According to a UN survey conducted in July, more than 80% of the schools in Gaza were directly hit or heavily damaged as more than 650,000 children have not been able to attend school for almost a year.
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
This conflict began in October 2023 with the leading attacks from Hamas against Israel and has so far claimed more than 41,000 lives in Gaza, a majority of them civilians. The health authorities in Gaza also claimed that over 95,000 people had been injured, many suffering life-altering injuries. The World Health Organization warned that at least 22,500 people will be requiring long-term rehabilitation services as the Gaza healthcare infrastructure struggles to cope with the increase in needs.
Inputs by Agencies
Image Source: Multiple Agencies
Ⓒ Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.
