The conflict between Israel and Hamas has reached a new and tragic milestone with an Israeli airstrike on a United Nations-run school in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The school, which was sheltering displaced Palestinians, was struck by missiles, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people, including women and children. This incident has further intensified the already dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
According to local health officials, the airstrike killed at least 30 people, including three women and nine children. The Israeli military has claimed that the school was being used as a "Hamas compound," a charge that has been vehemently denied by local officials and witnesses. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the spokesman for the Israeli military, stated that the strike was based on concrete intelligence that militants were planning and conducting attacks from inside three classrooms. He added, "We conducted the strike once our intelligence and surveillance indicated that there were no women or children inside the Hamas compound, inside those classrooms."
However, the aftermath of the strike tells a different story. Witnesses and hospital officials reported scenes of chaos and devastation. Ayman Rashed, a man displaced from Gaza City who was sheltering at the school, described the harrowing experience: "It was dark, with no electricity, and we struggled to get out the victims." He recounted helping to carry out five dead, including an old man and two children, one with his head shattered open.
The Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed at least 45 fatalities, and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which is treating the wounded, anticipates the number of casualties to rise as more victims arrive for medical attention. The hospital is currently operating at three times its clinical capacity, with electricity rationed due to fuel shortages. Videos circulating online show several wounded people being treated on the floor of the hospital, a common scene in Gaza’s overwhelmed medical wards.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that they had admitted over 70 individuals who had been killed and more than 300 who had been injured in just 48 hours, amid an escalation in bombing and ground fighting. MSF nurse Karin Huster expressed her concern, stating, "We have seen hospitals being bombed. We have seen refugee camps being bombed. We have seen humanitarian warehouses being bombed. The situation is apocalyptic."
The United Nations has condemned the attack, with UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini stating, "At least 35 people were killed and many more injured. Claims that armed groups may have been inside the shelter are shocking. We are however unable to verify these claims. Attacking, targeting or using UN buildings for military purposes are a blatant disregard of International Humanitarian law."
The strike has drawn international criticism and has further complicated ongoing ceasefire negotiations. American, Egyptian, and Qatari officials have been convening in Doha to explore the possibility of renewed ceasefire and hostage release negotiations with Hamas. However, Israel's Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant announced that the country's military offensive in Gaza would not be suspended for any ceasefire or hostage release talks with Hamas. "We are in the midst of a continuous engagement to weaken the enemy," Gallant stated. "Any negotiations with the terrorist organization Hamas will only be conducted under fire."
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with more than 36,000 people killed since the onset of the conflict, according to health officials in the territory. The war was instigated by an unprecedented Hamas attack in southern Israel last October, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities. The ongoing violence has led to severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies, with many Palestinians facing extreme hunger and malnutrition.
As the international community watches in horror, the need for a resolution to the conflict becomes ever more urgent. The tragic loss of life at the UN school in Nuseirat serves as a stark reminder of the devastating human cost of war and the urgent need for peace.
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