A school building destroyed by bombs in Khan Yunis. Two-thirds of schools in Gaza have been hit since the conflict began Peace and Security
Amid reports of increased intense shelling across Gaza, the head of the UN Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) confirmed on Wednesday that the latest escalation of bombing had hit schools that had served as shelters for the Strip in recent months.
“Four schools have been damaged in the last four days,” said Philippe Lazzarini. “Since the start of the war, two-thirds of UNRWA schools in Gaza have been hit, some bombed and many severely damaged.”
In a statement released Tuesday, the Israeli military said it was strikes on “terrorist infrastructure” in Gaza City.
Schools under fire
At least 25 people were killed in Tuesday following an Israeli strike on a school building in eastern Khan Yunis that was sheltering displaced residents of the enclave.
On Saturday, an attack on an UNRWA school in Nuseirat, in central Gaza, killed at least 16 people, and a day later a school in Gaza City was hit, reportedly containing hundreds of people.
New Israeli strikes on an UNRWA school in Nuseirat were reported on Monday, according to the UN agency’s communications director, Juliet Tuma.
“This is becoming commonplace: in the last four days alone we have seen attacks on four schools,” she said. “Every time a school is attacked, dozens of people die.”
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“Lost Generation”
“Most of the schools that were destroyed were used as shelters, but in the bigger picture it means that if the war continues, we could lose an entire generation of children,” continued Juliet Tuma. – The longer children are out of school, the more difficult it is for them to catch up on lost time in education; the greater the risk that they will become victims of exploitation, including child labor, early marriage, and recruitment into armed groups and participation in hostilities.”
In response to the allegations that schools are being used by Hamas militants or their allies, an UNRWA spokeswoman said no UN facility should be used for military purposes.
Rising death toll
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate and “grave suffering » civilians have become the norm.
Citing Gaza health authorities, UNFPA officials said that to date, nearly 38,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 87,000 injured, and food supplies , medical supplies and livelihoods in the sector are “critically low.” to the widespread sense of hopelessness among the local population, “who have little prospect of returning home or waiting for the end of the conflict.”