At least 81 Palestinians killed in Gaza within 24 hours amid Israeli attacks on school shelters

Middle East, News July 18, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Latest Israeli attacks in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of 81 Palestinians over the past 24 hours, including a harrowing strike on a United Nations-run school shelter in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. This information was confirmed by the Gaza Health Ministry on Wednesday.

The attack on the Nuseirat school, which occurred on July 16, 2024, claimed the lives of 23 Palestinians. This incident marks at least the eighth Israeli assault on a school shelter within the past ten days. Six of these targeted schools were operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The Nuseirat tragedy is part of a broader pattern of intense bombardments across Gaza in recent days. On July 17, a strike near Cairo School in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City killed at least nine individuals, including three children.

An overnight attack on a house in Al-Zawyda, central Gaza, resulted in eight fatalities, while another strike on a residence in Khan Younis claimed five lives. Additionally, an Israeli bombing in the al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah killed two people on July 17. Israeli tanks have also reportedly advanced into northern Rafah.

The latest round of violence also includes a deadly strike on Tuesday in al-Mawasi, a coastal area west of Khan Younis, designated as a “safe” zone where many refugees had gathered. This attack resulted in approximately 17 deaths.

Nearly 70% of @UNRWA schools in #Gaza have been hit since the war began.

Over 95% of these schools were used as shelters when hit. 539 people sheltering in UNRWA facilities have been killed.

Nowhere is safe. The blatant disregard for @UN premises and humanitarian law must stop. pic.twitter.com/EKiSiOm2kc
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) July 16, 2024

Prior to these recent attacks, the Gazans had already been enduring one of the most lethal periods since the conflict’s onset. On Saturday, Israeli forces bombarded the al-Mawasi camp, killing more than 90 Palestinians. The following day, an assault on the UNRWA-run Abu Oreiban school in Nuseirat, which sheltered thousands of displaced individuals, led to the deaths of at least 17 people, primarily women and children.

UNRWA has expressed grave concerns over the continued targeting of its facilities. The agency disclosed last week that two-thirds of its administered schools in Gaza have been attacked by Israeli forces, with a total of 453 incidents recorded since the conflict began. The UN agency reported nearly 200 staff member fatalities due to these assaults.

In a social media statement on July 16, UNRWA reiterated its plea for an end to the targeting of its premises, declaring, “Nowhere is safe. The blatant disregard for U.N. premises and humanitarian law must stop.”

Simultaneously, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a comprehensive 236-page report on Wednesday, detailing the atrocities committed on October 7 by Hamas-led armed groups. These groups killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped over 250 individuals. The report concluded that the perpetrators committed “crimes against humanity” and “war crimes” during their attack in southern Israel.

Palestinians gather to inspect the damages at the headquarters of UNRWA following an Israeli raid — ^{Palestinians gather to inspect the damages at the headquarters of UNRWA, following an Israeli raid, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City, on July 12, 2024. (Image Credit: Reuters/Dawoud Abu Alkas)}

“Human Rights Watch research found that the Hamas-led assault on October 7 was designed to kill civilians and take as many people as possible hostage,” stated Ida Sawyer, HRW’s crisis and conflict director, in a press release. “The October 7 atrocities should spur a global call to action for an end to all abuses against civilians in Israel and Palestine.”

The ongoing conflict, marked by severe casualties and destruction, underscores the urgent need for international intervention and a renewed commitment to protecting civilians and upholding humanitarian laws. As both sides continue to suffer, the global community faces mounting pressure to broker a resolution that addresses the root causes of the conflict and paves the way for lasting peace in the region.