Civil Defense reports 15 dead in new strike on school housing displaced people

The attack targeted a school run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, in the Nusseirat camp on Sunday. The Israeli army claims to have targeted “terrorists”.

The Civil Defense in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip reported Sunday, July 14, 15 deaths in a strike on a school housing displaced people, with the Israeli army claiming to have targeted “terrorists”.

The attack targeted a school run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, in the Nusseirat refugee camp, the target of two recent Israeli strikes. The strike was the fifth in eight days on schools sheltering people displaced by the war.

The bombing of the Abou Arabane school building, “which shelters thousands of displaced people, has left 15 dead”, mainly women and children, said Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal.

The Israeli military said its air force had “hit a number of terrorists who were operating in the area of ​​the UNRWA Abu Arabane school building in Nousseirat.” According to her, the building “served as a lair” and basic for “attacks” against Israeli troops. Residents reported that some victims, including children, were transferred to nearby hospitals.

AFPTV footage shows the three-story compound, with clothes and bedding lying open over the railings. A wall bearing the UN logo was blown away and rooms inside were damaged.

Over the past week, four other schools sheltering displaced people were targeted in four days by Israeli strikes, resulting in several deaths. On July 6, the air force carried out a strike on the al-Jaouni school, also run by UNRWA, in Nousseirat. The UN agency had then indicated that 2,000 people were there.

The following day, four people were killed in a strike on the Holy Family School in Gaza City, according to the Civil Defense. On July 8, Israel carried out a strike on another school in Nusseirat, also saying it was targeting “terrorists”On July 9, 29 people were killed in a strike on a school sheltering displaced people in Abassan, near Khan Younis, in the south.

Israel has drawn international criticism for its attacks on schools in the Gaza Strip, with France and Germany calling for an investigation.