The recent escalation of violence in Gaza has drawn severe criticism from the international community after Israeli airstrikes targeted a United Nations school complex, killing at least 18 people, including six UNRWA staff members.
This attack occurred at the al-Jaouni Preparatory Boys School in the Nuseirat refugee camp, which had been converted into a shelter for displaced Palestinians. The violence comes as part of a broader conflict sparked by a recent Hamas attack on Israel.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that this incident marks one of the deadliest for its staff during the ongoing conflict, bringing the total number of its workers killed in Gaza to at least 220 over the past year.
UNRWA officials described the attack as devastating and expressed profound grief and shock among their staff. The scale and speed of the violence have been described as overwhelming and distressing.
International Outrage Follows Israeli Airstrikes on UN School in Gaza, Resulting in Multiple Deaths
In response, Israeli officials defended the attack, claiming that some of the UNRWA employees were Hamas members. However, they have yet to provide concrete evidence to substantiate this claim.
The U.N. Secretary-General’s spokesperson called for an independent investigation into the incident and emphasized that all parties must avoid using civilian shelters for military purposes. The lack of protection for civilians and humanitarian infrastructure has been condemned as unacceptable.
This latest attack on the al-Jaouni school was reportedly the fifth such bombing, with over 90% of Gaza’s school buildings having sustained significant damage from previous strikes. Despite UNRWA’s notifications to the Israeli military about the school’s use as a civilian shelter, attacks on such facilities continue, raising serious concerns about the respect for humanitarian law and the potential for war crimes.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has emphasized the need to protect aid workers and humanitarian sites, a stance he maintains despite acknowledging that Hamas also bears responsibility for the conflict. The U.S. continues to address these issues with Israel while recognizing the complex dynamics of the situation, including the challenges posed by Hamas’s activities within civilian areas.
