By An Israeli airstrike on a United Nations-run school housing displaced families in central Gaza killed at least 14 people on Wednesday, according to Palestinian health officials and the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency.
The strike hit al-Jaouni school in Nuseirat refugee camp, where thousands of Palestinians have sought shelter from the ongoing conflict. Hospital sources reported that the casualties included women and children.
The Israeli military said it conducted a “precise strike on terrorists” who were planning attacks from inside the school. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated they took measures to mitigate harm to civilians, including using precise munitions and aerial surveillance.
“This is a further example of Hamas’s systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure in violation of international law,” the IDF said in a statement.
Hamas, which governs Gaza and is designated a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and other countries, denied using schools for military purposes.
The United Nations condemned the attack, noting it was the fifth strike on this particular school since the war began 11 months ago. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric emphasized, “Our policy is clear – UN premises should never be targeted, nor should UN premises be used by any groups or any force from which to launch military activities.”
Footage from the scene showed extensive damage to the school’s ground floor and a destroyed adjoining structure. Ambulances were seen transporting wounded civilians to nearby hospitals.
The Civil Defence agency reported that among the victims was the daughter of one of its rescue workers, Momin Salmi, who had not seen his family for 10 months due to displacement caused by the conflict.
This incident occurs amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which began after Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages taken to Gaza.
Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 41,080 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign.
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reports that nearly 70% of its schools in Gaza have been hit during the conflict, with many severely damaged. The agency also stated that at least 563 displaced people have been killed and 1,790 injured while sheltering in UN facilities.
In a separate incident, the IDF announced that two Israeli soldiers were killed and eight others injured in a helicopter crash in southern Gaza. The aircraft was on a mission to evacuate a critically wounded soldier when it crashed while landing near Rafah. The IDF stated that the crash was not caused by enemy fire and is under investigation.
As the conflict continues, international calls for a ceasefire and concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza persist.
