World
International Condemnation of Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School Shelter
The recent Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school shelter has sparked widespread international condemnation. Explore the global reactions, the humanitarian implications, and the urgent calls for accountability in this escalating conflict.
International Outcry Follows Deadly Israeli Strike on Gaza School Shelter
On Thursday, widespread condemnation erupted following a tragic Israeli airstrike on Al-Jaouni School, which was being used as a shelter in central Gaza. The strike has drawn severe criticism from various international entities and humanitarian organizations. Israeli officials, however, contended that the school compound, which was overcrowded with individuals displaced by the ongoing conflict, had been transformed into a command center for militant activities.
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the Al-Jaouni School was sheltering approximately 12,000 displaced individuals, predominantly women and children. The agency reported that the site had previously been targeted multiple times, with the Israeli military striking the compound five times since the onset of hostilities last October.
The Palestinian authorities reported that the airstrike on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of 18 Gazans, including numerous women and children, while injuring an equal number. Tragically, UNRWA confirmed that six of its employees, including the school shelter’s manager, were among the fatalities. This incident marks one of the deadliest attacks on UNRWA personnel during the current conflict, which has already claimed the lives of over 200 staff members.
Adding to the chorus of disapproval, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, expressed his outrage on Thursday, labeling the deaths of the U.N. workers as “appalling.” He echoed calls for an immediate ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Additionally, the government of Qatar, recognized as a crucial mediator in ceasefire negotiations, condemned the airstrike as a “horrifying massacre.”
In defense of its actions, the Israeli military asserted that the strike resulted in the deaths of nine individuals affiliated with Hamas’s military wing. It maintained that the Al-Jaouni School compound, located in Nuseirat, was being utilized as a “command and control center” by Hamas. This justification has been a recurring theme in Israel’s rationale for its intensified military operations against schools functioning as shelters during the conflict.
Israel has publicly released a list of nine individuals it claims were Hamas militants killed in the attack, including three whom it identified as employees of UNRWA.