UNRWA reported that six of its employees, who had been providing aid to families taking refuge in the facility, were killed.
Countries in the Middle East condemned on Thursday an Israeli airstrike on a school operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza’s al-Nuseirat refugee camp, which occurred on Wednesday and resulted in 18 fatalities.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) asserted that the target was a Hamas command and control centre concealed within the shelter. UNRWA reported that six of its employees, who had been providing aid to families taking refuge in the facility, were killed, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry described the attack as a “blatant violation of international laws,” criticized the targeting of international and UN facilities, and called for accountability for the perpetrators. Egypt emphasized the urgent need to address “Israeli breaches” and urged influential parties to ensure Israel’s compliance with international obligations.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strike as a “blatant violation of international law” and a “new war crime” amidst ongoing Israeli actions in Gaza. Spokesperson Sufian Qudah denounced the attack as part of Israel’s “ongoing aggression,” which he argued contradicted human values and international law. He called for immediate international intervention and support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Saudi Arabia also condemned the attack in the “strongest” terms. The Saudi foreign ministry called for an immediate ceasefire, civilian protection, and an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, criticized Israeli violations of international law, and urged accountability for attacks on relief facilities.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani condemned the strike on social media, highlighting that schools and shelters in Gaza had become primary targets. Kanaani called on the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, and Australia to address their role in supplying arms to Israel.
Qatar’s foreign ministry labelled the attack a “horrifying massacre,” describing it as further evidence of Israel’s “criminal practices” violating international humanitarian law. Qatar demanded an urgent international investigation and the deployment of independent UN investigators to assess the ongoing targeting of schools and shelters.
Iraq also condemned the school attack, with Iraqi government spokesman Bassem Al-Awadi stating that the Israeli attack was part of a “brutal and criminal” pattern of violence against Palestinian civilians and infrastructure.
‘Endless & senseless killing’
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres deplored the killings and said these “dramatic violations of international humanitarian law” needs to stop.
“What’s happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable. A school turned shelter for around 12,000 people was hit by Israeli airstrikes again today. Six of our @UNRWA colleagues are among those killed. These dramatic violations of international humanitarian law need to stop now,” the UN chief stated in a post on X.
UN Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini also deplored the killings and said that at least 220 UNRWA staff have been killed in this war. He further added that “longer the impunity prevails,” the more international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions will become “irrelevant.”
“Endless & senseless killing, day after day. Another school sheltering displaced people hit in Nuseirat today. Among the people killed are six @UNRWAstaff working & providing support to families who have sought refuge in the school.
“Since the beginning of this war, at least 220 UNRWA staff have been killed in #GazaHumanitarian staff, premises& operations have been blatantly & unabatedly disregarded since the beginning of the war. The longer impunity prevails, the more international humanitarian law & the Geneva conventions will become irrelevant,” he added.
Meanwhile, the UN reported that health workers are continuing efforts to vaccinate young children in northern Gaza against polio, part of a wider campaign to defeat the disease, which can cause paralysis.
More than 81,600 boys and girls were vaccinated as of Tuesday, according to preliminary data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Polio was detected in Gaza in June and UN agencies and partners launched a two-round campaign this month to provide over 640,000 children with two doses of novel oral polio vaccine type 2.
So far, nearly 5,28,000 children have been reached in the first round.
“More than 230 teams are on the ground trying to reach all children under the age of 10 with the first batch of the polio vaccination,” UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in New York, adding that “they will need to do this again in four weeks.”
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza had reached 41,118, according to health authorities in the region, amid Israel’s large-scale offensive against Hamas that began in response to a surprise attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
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