"Saw Kids' Bodies in Pieces": Local of Gaza After Israeli Attack Kills 16 in UN School Shelter
In a devastating incident that has further escalated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, an Israeli attack on a United Nations-run school sheltering displaced Palestinians in the Nuseirat refugee camp has left at least 16 people dead and over 75 injured.
The school, known as al-Jaouni, had become a sanctuary for hundreds of Palestinian families fleeing the relentless bombardment that has besieged Gaza since early October.
The Gaza Government Media Office condemned the attack, labeling it a massacre against civilians, including children and women.
This tragic event marks the latest in a series of attacks on UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) schools since the outbreak of the conflict.
The situation in Gaza is dire, with more than 38,098 Palestinians reported killed and the region suffering severe shortages of essential supplies like food, water, and medicine.
Israeli attack on UN school used as shelter in Gaza kills at least 16.
— Apartheid Review (@ApartheidReview) July 7, 2024
School is a place to be educated.@UN is a neutral organization.
Shame on Israel... pic.twitter.com/ip7ewZKjPk
Videos and images from the scene of the attack reveal the horrifying aftermath.
Twisted metal and collapsed structures are strewn across the site, while pools of blood and debris highlight the violence of the strike.
Among the scenes of chaos, a young boy was seen sifting through the wreckage, a haunting symbol of the tragedy that had unfolded.
At the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, emergency workers were overwhelmed with the influx of injured civilians.
Footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency showed children being rushed from ambulances, their faces marked with blood and their bodies bandaged.
The hospital's corridors were filled with the injured, including a girl with a bandaged arm, another with a bloodied face, and a boy with a bandage across his head.
The grim task of covering bodies brought in by emergency workers underscored the catastrophic impact of the attack.
In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed that 50 injured Palestinians were taken to the hospital.
The Israeli army, meanwhile, claimed that its air force had targeted "several terrorists" in the area of the al-Jaouni school, a justification that does little to mitigate the immense human suffering caused by the strike.
Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah, noted that the school had been considered a safe haven by many families.
"Hundreds of Palestinian families had sought shelter at the school after they were forced to flee Israel’s bombardment in other parts of Gaza," she said.
The belief that the middle area of the Gaza Strip would be a safe zone was tragically shattered by the attack.
"Everyone in the Gaza Strip believes that they are not safe, wherever they go," Khoudary added, highlighting the pervasive fear and uncertainty among Gaza’s residents.
This incident is not isolated. Last month, another Israeli attack on a UN-linked school in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed at least 40 people and injured dozens more.
Survivors like Musab, a 17-year-old boy who lived through the early June bombing of the UNRWA Nuseirat Boys’ Preparatory School, recounted the horror of the experience.
"Concrete slabs fell on us, and suddenly, we found ourselves surrounded by the dead and injured. All of my family members were either injured or killed," Musab said.
His father was among the victims.
"We were sleeping, and at two in the morning, missiles rained down on us. They pulled us from under the rubble, and all we saw were shrapnel, debris, and dust. I am in shock and can’t comprehend that my father is dead! How will we live?"
The ongoing conflict continues to exact a heavy toll on Gaza’s civilian population.
The repeated targeting of shelters and schools underscores the vulnerability of those seeking refuge and the devastating impact of the violence.
As the world watches, the cries for justice and peace from the besieged residents of Gaza grow ever more urgent.
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