Israeli Strike on Gaza School Kills 18, Including UN Staff

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Facts

  • An Israeli airstrike on the al-Jaouni school in central Gaza on Wednesday reportedly killed at least 18 people, including six members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).[1]
  • According to the UNRWA, 12K Palestinians — mostly women and children — were sheltered in the school. Al Jazeera reported that it was 'hit at a time when people were waiting for food.'[2]
  • The Israeli military said it carried out a 'precise strike' on Hamas terrorists using the school-turned-shelter as a 'command and control center.' It added that the UNRWA hasn't shared their staff's identities who were killed in the airstrikes 'despite repeated requests.'[3]
  • On Thursday, the IDF alleged that nine of the 18 people killed in the strikes were members of Hamas' armed wing, and only three were UNRWA employees, alleging they were also Hamas members. Meanwhile, the UNRWA has denied that the IDF had requested the list of the staff who were killed.[4][5]
  • One of the children killed in the attacks has reportedly been identified as the daughter of Momin Selmi, a rescue worker with Gaza's civil defense agency.[6]
  • The UNRWA said that Wednesday's attack is the fifth on the school since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last October and caused the highest UN staff death toll in a single incident.[7][8]

Sources: [1]Foreign Policy, [2]Al Jazeera, [3]X (a), [4]BBC News, [5]CNN, [6]New York Post, [7]NPR Online News and [8]X (b).

Narratives

  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Palestine Chronicle, Al Jazeera and New York Times. With its endless and senseless killing, Israel has been testing the limits of what is 'acceptable.' A lack of accountability allows Tel Aviv to blatantly and unabatedly kill thousands of people it forcefully displaced following its genocidal campaign in Gaza. The longer impunity prevails, the more international humanitarian law will become irrelevant. This carnage must immediately stop.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by X, X and Timesofisrael. Though it wants to eliminate Hamas, the IDF takes innumerable steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians. However, the al-Jaouni school was being used as a base for planning attacks on Israel. Those killed were terrorists, not aid workers, using women and children as human shields. Israel will continue its military operation against Hamas militants who have blood on their hands.

Predictions