An Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza killed at least 30 people, the fourth such attack in as many days.
The attack took place in the town of Abbasan, east of Khan Younis, at the entrance to al-Awdah school, injuring at least 53 people. According to Palestinian medics, most of the victims were women and children.
The Israeli military said it carried out the strike Tuesday against a “terrorist from the military wing of Hamas” near the school. It acknowledged carrying out three other strikes since Saturday against Gaza schools used as shelters.
“Since the beginning of the war, two-thirds of UNRWA schools in Gaza have been hit, some have been bombed, many have been seriously damaged,” said Philippe Lazzarini, executive director of the UN refugee agency (UNRWA).
“Schools have gone from being safe places of education and hope for children to overcrowded shelters and often ending up as places of death and misery,” he posted on X.
On Saturday, an Israeli strike hit the al-Jawni school in Nuseirat, in the centre of the enclave, killing 16 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. UNRWA said 2,000 people were staying there at the time.
The following day, a strike on the Holy Family School in Gaza City killed four people, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.
The Latin Patriarchate, which owns the school, said hundreds of people filled the grounds at the time.
Another UNRWA-run school in Nuseirat was hit on Monday. A local hospital said several people were taken there for treatment.
“The flagrant disregard for international humanitarian law cannot become the new norm,” Lazzarini said, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Hamas has warned that the escalation of the Israeli offensive could jeopardize the mediated ceasefire negotiations, a new round of which will take place in Qatar on Wednesday.
