The assault on al-Jaouni college, which killed greater than a dozen Palestinians, has drawn condemnation from the UN and EU.
An Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter for displaced Palestinians in Gaza that killed 18 individuals has drawn fierce international condemnation.
The assault flattened a part of the al-Jaouni college in Nuseirat on Wednesday and killed six employees from UNRWA, the United Nations company for Palestine refugees, which runs the varsity. The company stated it was the best loss of life toll amongst its staff in a single incident in its historical past.
“Amongst these killed was the supervisor of the UNRWA shelter and different staff members offering help to displaced individuals,” it stated on X.
UN Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres branded the strike “completely unacceptable”.
His spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated girls and youngsters have been among the many useless.
European Union international coverage chief Josep Borrell stated he was “outraged” by the deaths and the strikes confirmed a “disregard of the fundamental rules” of worldwide humanitarian regulation.
Jordan’s Ministry of International Affairs spokesman Sufyan Qudah issued a press release denouncing the assault through which he stated: “Israel’s continued violation of worldwide regulation and worldwide humanitarian regulation is a results of the absence of a powerful and decisive worldwide stance.”
The director common of the World Well being Group, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, additionally condemned the strike, writing on X: “The carnage in Gaza should cease.”
‘Heartbreaking scenes’
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir el-Balah, additionally in central Gaza, described the chaotic scenes when victims of the assault on the varsity have been taken to hospital.
“Individuals are bidding farewell to their family pronounced useless on the hospital. One one who is in essential situation was pulled from the hospital simply to say goodbye to members of the family killed within the assault. It was a heartbreaking scene,” he stated.
Mahmoud stated this “will not be the primary time we’ve seen UN-run evacuation centres attacked”.
“These services are marked, their coordinates shared with the Israeli navy. They’re recognized to have become shelters for displaced households. However the UN’s blue and white colors on the shelters will not be defending the individuals inside,” he stated.
Israeli navy says college a ‘authentic goal’
The Israeli navy on Thursday stated it had performed a “exact strike” on Hamas fighters throughout the college grounds.
It didn’t elaborate on the end result however stated “quite a few steps” have been taken to scale back the chance to civilians.
With out offering proof, Israeli authorities spokesman David Mencer stated the varsity was “not a faculty” and had develop into “a authentic goal” as a result of Hamas used it to launch assaults.
Israeli navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani stated UNRWA had not offered the names of its killed employees “regardless of repeated requests” and a navy inquiry discovered that “a major variety of the names [of the dead] which have appeared within the media and on social networks are Hamas terrorist operatives”.
In response, UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma stated the company was “not conscious of any such requests”, it offered Israel every year with an inventory of its workers and it “referred to as repeatedly” on Israel and Palestinian fighters “to by no means use civilian services for navy or preventing functions”.
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini stated after the varsity strike that at the very least 220 members of the company’s workers had been killed within the struggle.
