Israeli strike on Gaza's school kills four

AFP , Ahram Online , Monday 8 Jul 2024

The civil defence agency in Gaza said a second Israeli strike in two days on a school sheltering displaced families killed at least four people, as the UN condemned the targeting of its shelters.

Gaza City School
Palestinians stand on the rubble and debris of the Latin Patriarchate Holy Family School after it was hit during Israeli military bombardment, in Gaza City. AFP

 

Israel's military said it hit "the area of the school" in Gaza City.

The civil defence agency in Gaza said Ihab al-Ghusain, the group's deputy labour minister, was among those killed in the strike Sunday on the Holy Family School.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which owns the school, said hundreds of civilians had taken shelter there since the start of the war.

"The Latin Patriarchate condemns in the strongest terms the targeting of civilians or any belligerent actions that fall short of ensuring that civilians remain outside the combat scene," the church body said in a statement.

At least 16 people were killed and 75 injured in an Israeli strike on a UN-run school Saturday

Israel has repeatedly targeted civilian and UN structures including hospitals and schools housing displaced civilians killing scores of people sheltering from the war, mostly women and children. 

'Another school hit'

Tens of thousands of Gaza residents have sought shelter in UN-run schools across the territory and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has expressed outrage at the repeat attacks on its facilities.

"Another day. Another month. Another school hit," Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, posted on social media platform X on Sunday.

UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told AFP that more than half, or 190, of UNRWA's facilities, had been hit -- "some more than once" -- in the Israeli war on Gaza.

At least 196 UNRWA workers have been killed, including two on Saturday.

"When the war started we closed the schools and they became shelters," Touma said.

There have been 450 "incidents" involving UNRWA buildings during the war and Touma called damage to UN-protected facilities in the Gaza conflict "unprecedented in the history of the UN."

"Any hits on UN facilities are shocking and there has been a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law in regard to this conflict," said the spokesperson.

Hamas called the attack on Al-Jawni school in central Gaza, an "odious massacre".

Israel's military offensive has killed at least 38,153 people in Gaza, most of whom are women and children killed in unprovoked massacres targeting shelters.

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