By D. Maan, Jadetimes News
Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School Kills Over 70, Hospital Chief Reports
An Israeli airstrike struck a school building that had sheltered displaced Palestinians in Gaza City, killing over 70 people according to a local hospital director. The director of al Ahli Hospital, Fadl Naeem, said that this number of identified corps was registered, with many bodies not identified due to severe disfigurement. The assault is further escalating the conflict that has already broken several souls in this region.
The Attack and Its Immediate Aftermath
The airstrike hit the al Taba'een school, which had been transformed into a refuge for displaced persons owing to rising violence between the majority Meitei and indigenous Kuki groups inhabiting the area. The school, that had recently taken in more than 1,000 refugees from Beit Hanoun who were fleeing due to Israeli military orders, was also the site of the mosque. The attack hit the mosque at dawn prayer, with eyewitnesses describing scenes of chaos and carnage, with body parts all over the place and the walls smeared with blood.
Justification from the Israeli Military and International Criticism
The Israeli military justified this strike by claiming that al Taba'een school was utilized as a military facility by the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. According to an IDF spokesperson, Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, there were some 20 militants operating from the compound, including senior commanders. Hamas has denied this and described the attack as a "horrific crime" and a dangerous escalation in what it calls Israel's "war of extermination" against Palestinians.
The attack drew wide condemnation from much of the international and regional community. Western governments and regional leaders say the attack demonstrates that Israel is not doing enough to halt fighting and accept a truce to bring an end to the relentless conflict in Gaza. According to the United Nations, the situation is very critical since nearly one third of the school buildings have been destroyed or damaged in Gaza. The UN reported that early in July, 477 of the 564 schools in Gaza had been affected, and at least 13 schools were hit since then.
Humanitarian Impact and Global Reactions
The attack has had a deep humanitarian impact, considering that most of the families displaced are those who lost their homes and remain in deplorable conditions. The UN children's agency, UNICEF, has strongly condemned the assault alongside other international bodies. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, stressed that the world should not tolerate such horrors anymore, while France's foreign ministry and UK's Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged an immediate ceasefire and respect for international humanitarian law.
In addition to the outrage, both Egypt and Qatar who are both currently trying to negotiate a cease fire strongly denounced the event. The response by Egypt was to say that Israel was politically malevolent for its inability to bring an end to the conflict. For its part, Qatar has demanded an international inquiry into the attack.
Background and Continuing Violence
What began with an October 7 attack by Hamas led gunmen into Israel, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and took 251 as hostages, has evolved into full scale conflict. This incident provoked a wide ranging Israeli military response, with huge casualties on both sides. According to the Hamas run health ministry of Gaza, more than 39,790 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel military campaign.
While the situation remains explosive, and the international community calls for a halt to violence, such efforts have terribly been hamstrung in the last few days. Not least among these is the tragic incident of the airstrike on al Taba'een School, killing many, which reminded too much of the devastating human cost of this conflict and the pressing need for a solution to the bloody violence that has plagued the region for far too long.
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