Israel bombs UN school and leaves 45 Palestinians dead

A United Nations school in the Gaza Strip was the target of bombing by the Israeli army this Thursday (6). The airstrike left at least 45 people dead, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

The massacre comes amid the international community’s failed attempts to stop the ongoing genocide in Palestine, orchestrated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition.

This Wednesday (5), Tel Aviv admitted opening a new front in the conflict and a possible declaration of war on Hezbollah, in southern Lebanon.

A director of the Hamas-run Gaza government’s media office, Ismail Al-Thawabta, and a Health Ministry official told Reuters that 45 people were killed and 73 injured in the attack. The two officials added that 14 children and 9 women were killed.

According to the UN agency, the school is in Nusseirat, the central region of the enclave, and housed Palestinians displaced from their homes as a result of the destruction in Gaza. In an official statement on social media, UNRWA states that the displaced people did not receive prior notice.

“Another UNRWA school, converted into a shelter, was hit overnight by Israeli Forces without prior warning to the displaced or UNRWA. Targeting UN facilities or using them for military purposes cannot become the new norm. This must stop and all those responsible must be held accountable,” the agency said in a statement.

The Israeli army admitted to having hit the site, claiming that they were targeting Hamas terrorists who were inside the school. According to UNRWA Commissioner General, Phillipe Lazzarini, the agency does not confirm this information.

“The school was home to 6,000 displaced people when it was hit. Allegations that armed groups may have been inside the shelter are shocking. However, we cannot verify these claims,” Lazzarini said on social media.

The attack comes amid attempts by the international community to stop the ongoing genocide in Palestine. US President Joe Biden’s government tried to force a ceasefire agreement, which was ruled out by the far-right faction of Netanyahu’s coalition.

Swamped by accusations of corruption, the Israeli prime minister is balancing power through a political support network of Zionists, who reject any retreat in the offensive on the Gaza Strip. Ultra-Orthodox ministers such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, from National Security, threatened to leave the government if Netanyahu adhered to the ceasefire agreement reached by Biden. Hamas had accepted the proposal, which included participation from countries such as Qatar and Egypt.

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