August 10th 2024.
The situation in Israel and Gaza has once again escalated as an Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City on Saturday morning. According to Palestinian health authorities, the strike resulted in the deaths of over 60 people and left 47 others injured. The strike targeted the Tabeen school, which was being used as a shelter for those displaced by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli military has acknowledged the strike, claiming that it was aimed at a Hamas command centre within the school. However, they have not provided any evidence to support this claim. This is not the first time that a school housing displaced people in Gaza has been targeted by Israeli forces since the war began 10 months ago. Sadly, this has become a common occurrence in the region, with most of Gaza's schools being used as shelters for those forced to flee their homes.
The strike on the Tabeen school occurred without any warning, in the early morning before sunrise. Abu Anas, a witness who helped rescue people from the rubble, stated that many were praying in the mosque inside the school at the time of the attack. He described the chaos and devastation as the missiles hit without any warning, killing and injuring many innocent people, including children, women, and elderly individuals.
The damage inside the school is severe, with Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence first responders, reporting that three missiles tore through the building, which was housing around 6,000 displaced people. He also mentioned that many of the casualties were unrecognizable, and the death toll is expected to rise. The United Nations has reported that almost all of Gaza's schools have been either directly hit or damaged as a result of the ongoing conflict.
The strike on the school came at a critical time, as American, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators were working towards a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. This was in response to the recent assassinations of top Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut, which had further escalated tensions in the region. The war itself was triggered by Hamas' attack on Israel in October, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of 250 others.
The ongoing conflict has had devastating consequences for the people of Gaza, with over 39,600 Palestinians killed and 91,700 others wounded, according to the Health Ministry in the enclave. The war has also forced more than 1.9 million people, out of Gaza's pre-war population of 2.3 million, to flee their homes repeatedly in search of safety. Many of them now live in overcrowded tent camps in a small area on the Gaza coast, facing continuous offensives and violence.
The strike on the school in Gaza City is a tragic reminder of the ongoing violence and suffering in the region. It is crucial for both parties to find a way to achieve a lasting ceasefire and bring an end to the devastating impact of this conflict on innocent civilians. The international community must also step in to help and support the people of Gaza, who have been caught in the crossfire of this long-standing conflict.
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