The Gaza Strip was rocked by shock and horror as at least 16 people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The building was sheltering thousands of displaced people, and dozens more were injured in the attack, according to Palestinian officials.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and devastation, with adults and children screaming in a smoke-filled street covered in dust and rubble. The Israel Defence Force (IDF) said they targeted “terrorists operating in structures located in the area of Al-Jaouni School.”
The strike, which hit the upper floors of the school, resulted in the deaths of children who were reading the Koran at the time of the attack. This is reportedly the fourth time the school has been targeted without warning, according to a witness.
Hamas militants were using the location as a “hideout” to carry out attacks against IDF troops, the IDF claimed. Hamas, on the other hand, called the attack a “massacre” on “defenceless displaced civilians.”
This incident is not the first time a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp has been targeted. In June, another UN-run school was hit, resulting in the deaths of at least 35 people. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees described the incident as “horrific.”
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in thousands of casualties, with both sides accusing each other of violating international law. The IDF said they are “looking into the details” of the latest incident.
The war in Gaza has lasted almost eight months, with no end in sight. The civilian population continues to suffer as schools and other UN facilities are used as shelters by those who have fled their homes.
