Israeli airstrikes on Saturday destroyed three UNRWA schools
sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City, killing dozens and displacing
thousands more, as the Israeli military intensifies its bombardment of civilian
areas. The attacks have sparked international condemnation, with UN officials
and human rights experts denouncing the deliberate targeting of shelters and
the humanitarian crisis worsening amid escalating violence.
Israel's Airstrikes Destroy UNRWA Schools in Gaza City
As reported by Al Jazeera's Ani Mahmoud, Israeli airstrikes
persistently targeted Gaza City on Friday and Saturday, killing at least 65
people, including 14 members of the same family, in a series of deadly
bombardments. Medical sources confirmed that 48 of those fatalities occurred in
Gaza City and northern Gaza. Specifically on Saturday, Israeli aircraft
levelled three schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for PalestineRefugees (UNRWA) that were serving as shelters for thousands of internally
displaced Palestinians. These airstrikes forced residents to flee with nowhere
safe to go in the increasingly besieged city.
According to the Middle East Monitor, these attacks
constitute an aggressive Israeli campaign intentionally targeting displaced
civilians by bombing schools used as shelters in Gaza City. The Israeli army
has bombed nine such schools in Gaza over just eight days, killing 79
Palestinians and injuring 143, mostly women and children. The bombing occurred
over the occupants' heads and destroyed shelters that are crucial for
Palestinian civilians amid the destruction of homes and public facilities since
October 2023.
Impact on Displaced Palestinians and Humanitarian Crisis
UNRWA reported to UN News that one of the schools hit,
located in the Al Bureij area of Middle Gaza, was sheltering about 2,000
displaced people when it was struck twice by Israeli forces in one day. The
attack caused severe damage to the building, ignited a fire, and hampered
evacuation efforts. Survivors had to open a hole in the school’s wall to rescue
the dead and wounded. UNRWA described scenes of devastation with survivors
trying to salvage belongings amid blood and body parts.
The ongoing airstrikes have dramatically impacted Gaza’s
civilian population, with UN satellite data indicating that more than 400
schools have been directly hit since October 2023. UN rights experts estimate
that 95% of Gaza's schools have been damaged, the majority unusable,
devastating the education and livelihoods of a whole generation of Palestinian
children. UN human rights experts condemned these attacks as assaults on
children, safe education, and violations of international law within an illegal
occupation.
UN and International Responses
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres renewed
his urgent calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza amid the massive
destruction of Gaza City. Speaking on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo
International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), Guterres emphasised
the vital need to halt hostilities and called for the unconditional release of
all hostages. He warned that a full-scale military operation against Gaza City,
home to around one million people, would inevitably cause massive death and
destruction.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) detailed continuous intense Israeli military operations focusing on
Gaza City neighborhoods such as Jabalya and Az Zaytoun, including airstrikes,
shelling, and drone bombings targeting residential buildings and aid seekers.
The displacement of civilians has been enormous, with Gaza authorities
estimating some 1.3 million people remain crowded in the northern part of the
enclave despite relentless bombardment.
In Geneva, UN human rights experts strongly condemned
Israel's attacks, calling them assaults on children and blatant violations of
international law. They highlighted that once the hostilities cease,
Palestinian children will have no schools to return to, given the widespread
destruction.
Israeli Military Justifications and Palestinian Reactions
The Israeli military has attempted to justify these strikes
by alleging they target Hamas militants or political leaders allegedly using
the shelters. However, humanitarian experts and human rights groups note the
Israeli forces have failed to provide evidence supporting these claims. The
deliberate destruction of civilian shelters, particularly UNRWA schools, serves
no valid military purpose and appears aimed at depriving Palestinians of safety
and stability in their last refuges.
Hamas, the Palestinian group governing Gaza, condemned the
recent airstrikes, especially the deadly attack killing 14 members of the
Sultan family. They accused Israel of waging a campaign of terror and
committing organised war crimes by targeting civilians and destroying
residential buildings. Hamas also criticised international inaction, stating it
emboldens Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration to
escalate assaults against Palestinians.
Destruction Beyond Schools
In addition to UNRWA schools, entire residential neighbourhoods
in Gaza City have been razed by Israeli strikes. Satellite imagery revealed
severe destruction across the city, with many homes and infrastructure reduced
to rubble. As reported by Al Jazeera, the Israeli army has been deploying
remotely controlled explosive devices, intensive aerial bombardments, and
artillery in residential areas, creating widespread fear among civilians
already displaced multiple times.
The UNRWA has documented that its employees providing aid in
Gaza are also casualties of the conflict, with at least 220 agency staff
reported killed over the course of the war. This highlights the peril faced by
humanitarian workers trying to assist the beleaguered population.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza City, including
deliberate strikes on UNRWA schools sheltering displaced civilians, has caused
thousands of Palestinians to lose their homes and safety. Dozens have been
killed, including large numbers of women and children, escalating the
humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged enclave. The UN continues to call
urgently for ceasefire, protection of civilians, and respect for international
law, while Palestinian authorities and groups condemn the attacks as war
crimes. The crisis in Gaza remains dire, with no immediate end in sight to the
violence or the suffering of its people.