A U.N. official mentioned on Saturday that two faculties run by his company in northern Gaza had been bombarded in lower than 24 hours, and video from one of many scenes, verified by The New York Occasions, confirmed many bloodied and immobile our bodies at one.
Palestinian officers mentioned on Saturday that many individuals had been killed and injured in an Israeli assault that hit a U.N.-run faculty getting used as a shelter by adults and youngsters, within the Jabaliya space north of Gaza Metropolis. The Israeli navy mentioned it had obtained stories of “an incident” within the Jabaliya space and that it was beneath evaluate.
A graphic video, whose location was verified by The Occasions, confirmed our bodies mendacity amid widespread particles on the faculty, Al-Fakhura, which was run by UNRWA, the U.N. company that aids Palestinian refugees.
The top of the company, Philippe Lazzarini, said on social media on Saturday that he had obtained “horrifying photographs & footage of scores of individuals killed and injured” at an UNRWA faculty “sheltering hundreds of displaced within the north of the Gaza Strip.”
Mr. Lazzarini later added that one other UNRWA faculty had been “bombarded a number of instances within the north of #Gaza sheltering greater than 4,000 individuals.” He mentioned this was the “second time in lower than 24 hours faculties should not spared. ENOUGH, these horrors should cease.”
An UNRWA spokeswoman mentioned the later submit referred to the Zeitoun faculty in Gaza Metropolis, which was hit round three p.m. on Friday.
The company didn’t know the final word toll at both faculty on Saturday; UNRWA has not been capable of straight monitor situations at its northern Gaza services since an Israeli evacuation order for the north on Oct. 12. At the moment, almost 160,000 displaced individuals had been taking shelter in 57 of its faculties, it mentioned. All through Gaza for the reason that begin of the Israeli offensive, lessons have been suspended and faculties have been transformed into shelters.
The Israeli navy says its intense bombardment has been aimed toward Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, however its command posts and depots are deeply enmeshed inside — and in tunnels beneath — Gaza’s neighborhoods. Israel’s bombardment has hit websites like residence buildings, mosques and markets, and Israeli officers have known as these websites professional targets, whereas saying it’s searching for to restrict hurt to civilians.
The Israeli navy mentioned Saturday that it was “dedicated to worldwide legislation together with taking possible steps to attenuate hurt to civilians.” It had said earlier within the day that it had engaged in intensive fight in Jabaliya, the place it has claimed the command and management heart of Hamas’s northern Gaza brigade was situated.
The White Home was speaking to U.N. and Israeli officers to search out out extra concerning the assault at a college shelter, mentioned Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the Nationwide Safety Council.
“We’re conscious of stories that civilians might have been killed whereas sheltering a minimum of one UNRWA faculty in northern Gaza,” Ms. Watson mentioned. “Any hurt to a U.N. facility the place civilians are sheltering is unacceptable.”
The civilian toll of Israel’s marketing campaign in Gaza has drawn growing criticism from U.N. officers, who’ve known as for an pressing cease-fire, in addition to rising anger from Israel’s neighbors within the Center East. The Qatari Ministry of International Affairs on Saturday denounced the destruction on the Al-Fakhura faculty, accusing Israel of a “flagrant violation of the rules of worldwide legislation,” and calling for a U.N. investigation into assaults in opposition to hospitals and faculties in Gaza.
“The Ministry warns that the silence of the worldwide neighborhood concerning the warfare crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity dedicated by the occupation in opposition to the Palestinian individuals will enhance the strain, broaden the circle of violence, and result in additional escalation and instability,” it mentioned.
The Gazan ministry of well being has mentioned that the Al-Fakhura faculty was previously hit by an Israeli airstrike in early November, killing 15 and wounding 70.
Aaron Boxerman, Neil Collier, Iyad Abuheweila Aric Toler and Lisa Friedman contributed reporting.
