In a tragic incident, at least 25 people were killed on Tuesday in a strike that hit a school in southern Gaza. The school was being used as a shelter for Palestinians who had been displaced by the ongoing war. The strike took place in Ma’an school in Khan Yunis, and witnesses reported that dozens of injured individuals and bodies were recovered from the rubble and taken to Nasser hospital in the city.
Khan Yunis, the second-largest city in Gaza, has been heavily bombarded by the Israeli army for several days. In response to the deadly attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7, Israel has escalated its military operations and has now deployed ground troops in the area. Mohammed Salou, who lost his sister in the strike, shared his harrowing experience, stating that his cousin informed him about his sister’s body lying in the schoolyard, and it was initially difficult to retrieve it. Eventually, he managed to take her body to the hospital. Salou believes that it was not the school itself that was targeted but rather the surrounding area.
Since the start of the Israeli offensive in October, many Palestinians have sought refuge in schools or hospitals, believing them to be relatively safe from attacks. However, numerous schools and hospitals, or their immediate surroundings, have been struck in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war. Etraa al-Jerjawi, who had left her home due to fear of violence, lost a relative in the strike on Ma’an school and expressed her frustration, stating that they had sought refuge in the school, but the attacks continued.
According to the UN humanitarian office OCHA, around 1.8 million people, which accounts for 80 percent of the population in the Palestinian territory, have been forced to leave their homes since the start of the war triggered by Hamas attacks. Israeli authorities claim that these attacks have resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians. However, the Hamas government reports that the Israeli military campaign has led to over 16,200 deaths in Gaza, mainly women and children.
On Sunday, the Israeli army released a map dividing the Gaza Strip into numbered “blocks” to warn civilians of imminent military operations. OCHA has identified an area in Khan Yunis, representing 20 percent of the city, for “immediate evacuation.” This area is home to approximately 117,000 people, half of whom are already displaced. With the Israeli army now focusing on the south, international aid organizations are concerned that civilians in the densely populated region are running out of safe places to flee to.
Lynn Hastings, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, emphasized the dire situation, stating that nowhere in Gaza is safe anymore and there are no places left to go. The ongoing violence and displacement have created a humanitarian crisis that urgently needs attention and resolution.
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