The Israeli army on Thursday bombed two schools in Gaza City, Abdul Fattah Hamud and Al Zahraa, killing at least 12 people, according to the Civil Defense of the enclave.
“Air Force fighter planes recently selectively attacked, under the direction of Shin Bet intelligence and the Southern Command, Hamas command and control complexes” that, according to the military statement that confirmed the bombing, were camouflaged among schools.
The Civil Defence reported the deaths of seven Palestinians in Al Zahraa and another five in Abdul Fattah Hamud, while local media reported at least thirty wounded and several missing.
Videos broadcast on Palestinian channels after the incident showed several people loading the remains of the deceased into a van, while another man showed journalists in the area the entrails collected at the scene of the attack.
The Israeli military says it has taken steps to reduce the chances of harming civilians, “including the use of precision weapons, surveillance and additional intelligence,” as it often warns in statements about attacks that kill what it usually calls “uninvolved civilians.”
Schools in Gaza are common refuge points for the thousands of evacuees from the enclave (90% of its inhabitants are evacuees, and many have been displaced on more than one occasion), but they are also a frequent target for Israeli air forces.
“The terrorist organization Hamas systematically violates international law, exploiting civilian structures and the population as human shields,” said the military statement, a paragraph that the Army always refers to when firing at such targets.
According to the UN refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), around 85% of schools in Gaza have been “directly hit or damaged”, with some requiring complete reconstruction.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave began ten months ago, 39,699 people have been killed and more than 91,700 injured in Gaza, according to data from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.
In addition, it is estimated that the bodies of some 10,000 missing people remain buried under the rubble.
Jerusalem / EFE
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2024-08-08 23:41:05
