Al-Awda school attack

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Al-Awda school attack
Part of the Israel–Hamas war and attacks on schools during the Israeli invasion of Gaza
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Al-Awda School
Location within the Gaza Strip
Location Abasan al-Kabira, Khan Yunis Governorate, Gaza Strip
Coordinates 31°20′2″N34°20′18″E / 31.33389°N 34.33833°E / 31.33389; 34.33833
Date9 July 2024 (2024-07-09)
Attack type
 Airstrike
Deaths31+ Palestinians [1]
Injured53+ Palestinians [2]
PerpetratorFlag of the Israel Defense Forces.svg  Israel Defense Forces

On 9 July 2024, the Israeli Defense Forces bombed Al-Awda school in Abasan al-Kabira near the city of Khan Yunis, in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The UNRWA-ran that had been converted into a displacement shelter, hosting refugees from the Israeli invasion. At least 31 Palestinians were killed in the attack while over 53 were injured; most of the casualties were women and children. [3] Many of the victims were refugees from Rafah following Israel's Rafah offensive. The attack was the fourth attack on a Palestinian school conducted by the Israel Defense Forces over the prior four days. [2]

Contents

Background

On 6 July, UNRWA-ran al-Jawni school sheltering 2,000 refugees at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza was targeted by an IDF raid which killed sixteen Palestinians. [4] On 7 July, the IDF targeted the Latin Patriarchate-owned Holy Family school located in Gaza City housing hundreds of refugees, killing four. On 8 July, IDF force struck a different Nuseirat UNRWA-run school in, causing several injuries requiring treatment in a local hospital. [2] Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, stated two-thirds of all UNRWA schools in Gaza had been hit since October 2023. [5]

Airstrike

Al Jazeera video of the Al-Awda School massacre
External video
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Video of the air strike and its aftermath taken by a football spectator who was filming the game. Contains graphic images of severe injury. [1]
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg NBC News video on YouTube incorporating parts of the Al Jazeera footage and featuring comments from survivors

During the evening of 9 July 2024, Israeli Defense Forces conducted an airstrike that targeted a gate at the entrance of al-Awda School in Abasan al-Kabira, Khan Yunis Governorate. [2] A US-made GBU-39 precision-guided glide bomb, manufactured by Boeing, was used in the attack. [6] Several dozen were outside at the time of the attack, spectating a soccer game being played in a courtyard. [7] According to a witness, a warplane flew overhead and fired a missile at young men sitting at an internet cafe, after which "it was screams and body parts everywhere". [8] At least 19 deceased Palestinians from the airstrike were brought to nearby Nasser Hospital, in addition to 53 injured Palestinians. [2] Health officials stated the majority of casualties were women and children. [9] Weapons experts identified fragments from the strike as 250-pound GBU-39 bombs. [10] Workers at the hospital expected the number of dead to increase. [11] The death toll had risen to 31 by the next day. [1]

A 14-year-old survivor of the attack stated, "I was walking, when suddenly I found myself flying... I saw all the wounded. Just body parts." [12] Another child survivor stated he was the only person in his family who survived the strike. [13]

Reactions

Hamas condemned the attack and said in a statement: “The bombing of the school is an Israeli insistence on the war of extermination, and confirmation of the occupation’s continuation of the crimes of murder, without regard to the consequences of its crimes or the laws and treaties that were established to protect civilians in wars.” It further called upon “the Arab peoples and those it called the peoples of the free world to move in support of the Palestinian people, and it also called on the people of the West Bank to activate all tools of support to engage with Israel.” Hamas also called for “rage marches in all cities of the world to condemn the massacres and to demand an end to the ongoing war in the besieged Gaza strip". [14]

The Israeli Ministry of Defense said that the attack used "precision weapons" to target an area near the school where a Hamas fighter who took part in the October 7 attacks on Israel. [15] The ministry stated that it was investigating reports that Palestinian civilians were harmed in the attack. [16]

European Union Chief of Foreign Policy Josep Borrell strongly condemned the attack, lamenting the cost of the war to innocent civilians while calling for an immediate ceasefire agreement to free the reminding hostages and provide sufficient humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. [17] Borrell stated, "We condemn any violation of international law: those responsible must be held accountable." [18] Discussing the spate of Israeli airstrikes on schools in mid-July 2024, the French foreign ministry stated, "We call for these strikes to be fully investigated... It is unacceptable that schools, especially those housing civilians displaced by the fighting, should be targeted". [19] The German Federal Foreign Office stated, "People seeking shelter in schools getting killed is unacceptable. The repeated attacks on schools by the Israeli army must stop and an investigation must come quickly." [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maghazi refugee camp</span> Palestinian refugee camp in the Deir al-Balah Governorate in the central Gaza Strip

Maghazi is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the Deir al-Balah Governorate in the central Gaza Strip. It was established in 1949. The camp is built on 559 dunums (0.6 km2). In July 2023, the UNRWA reported its population to be 33,000. During the first months of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, its population tripled and faced repeated airstrikes by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuseirat refugee camp</span> Refugee camp in Deir al-Balah, State of Palestine

Nuseirat is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the middle of the Gaza Strip, five kilometers north-east of Deir al-Balah. The refugee camp is in the Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the refugee camp had a population of 31,747 and the surrounding Nuseirat municipality had a population of 54,851 in 2017. The camp was established after the 1948 Palestinian expulsion during the 1948 Palestine war.

From 9 October 2023, as part of the Israel–Hamas war, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has conducted airstrikes in Jabalia refugee camp, claiming it was a stronghold for Hamas and other militant groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Gaza City</span> Ongoing military engagement in Gaza City

The siege of Gaza City began on 2 November 2023, when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) surrounded Gaza City, amid the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, which was a counterattack to the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Gaza City is the most populated city in the Gaza Strip and the battle started on 30 October 2023, when Israel and Hamas clashed in Gaza City. According to Oxfam, there are about 500,000 Palestinians, along with 200 Israelis and other captives, were trapped in a "siege within a siege" in northern Gaza.

Israel conducted two airstrikes on the al-Fakhoora school in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, which was being used as a shelter by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNRWA). On 4 November 2023, an Israeli airstrike killed at least 15 people and injured 70.

Since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war on 7 October 2023, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has conducted numerous airstrikes in densely populated Palestinian refugee camps in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Al-Maghazi refugee camp was struck several times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugee camp airstrikes in the Israel–Hamas war</span> Airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and West Bank

In the Israel–Hamas war, as part of the bombing and invasion of Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has conducted numerous airstrikes in densely populated Palestinian refugee camps in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attacks on schools during the Israeli invasion of Gaza</span> 2023 airstrikes on educational facilities in the Gaza Strip

Since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war on 7 October 2023, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has conducted numerous airstrikes on more than 200 educational facilities, including universities, in the Gaza Strip. The IDF states such airstrikes are the result of the placement of military infrastructure and rocket launching from civilian areas, including schools. By late March 2024, the United Nations recorded more than 200 Israeli attacks on schools in Gaza, with at least 53 schools totally destroyed. By July 2024, all 19 Gaza universities had suffered severe damage with 80% of university buildings destroyed, 103 academics killed, and 90,000 students enrolled in higher education no longer able to pursue their studies. In June 2024, UNOCHA stated 76 percent of Gaza's schools required "full reconstruction or major rehabilitation", and in August 2024, UNICEF stated 564, or 85 percent, of all schools in Gaza had been hit by Israeli attacks.

Events of the year 2024 in Israel.

Events in 2024 in the Palestinian territories.

The following is a list of events during the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 2024, including the 2024 events of the Israel–Hamas war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tel al-Sultan attack</span> 2024 Israeli airstrike on refugee camp in Gaza

On 26 May 2024, the Israeli Air Force attacked a displacement camp in Tel al-Sultan, Rafah, setting it on fire. The attack killed between 45 and 50 Palestinians, including women and children, and injured over 200. Sometimes referred to as the Rafah tent massacre, it was the deadliest incident of the Rafah offensive.

On 6 June 2024, the Israel Defense Forces fired two missiles at Al-Sardi, a UNRWA school in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Though the complex had not been used as a school since the outbreak of the war, UNRWA said approximately 6,000 people were using it for shelter.

On 8 June 2024, the Israeli military killed at least 276 people and injured over 698, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Palestinian health officials, during a hostage rescue operation in the UNRWA Nuseirat refugee camp. The operation's objective was to free multiple hostages taken during the 7 October attack on Israel. The Israeli military acknowledged fewer than 100 Palestinian deaths.

On 21 June 2024, Israeli forces attacked refugee tent camps in al-Mawasi, Gaza Strip just outside an area designated as a humanitarian safe zone. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 25 people were killed and 50 others were injured in the two rounds of bombing. The bombing was the second Israeli bombardment of the al-Mawasi refugee camp in under a month, with an attack on 28 May killing over 21 people and injuring 64 more.

On 13 July 2024, Israeli airstrikes hit the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war. The attack killed at least 90 Palestinians, among them women and children, and injured over 300. Israel said that the strike targeted Hamas top leaders. Survivors reported that they were targeted without warning in an area they were told was safe.

On 4 August 2024, the Israel Defense Forces bombed Hamama School in the Gaza neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan. The school had been sheltering people displaced by the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, including women and children. Per Gaza's Civil Defense, 17 people were killed and "many others" were wounded, while the school itself was "completely destroyed". The attack was one of a number of attacks on schools during the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The Israeli army stated that the school was being used by Hamas. Hamas criticized this claim as a false pretext "for targeting defenseless civilians". The Palestinian Resistance Movement called the attack a continuation of Israel's "brutal war of extermination" in Gaza.

On 10 August 2024, Israel struck the Al-Tabaeen school located in eastern Gaza City, which was hosting displaced Palestinians seeking shelter there during the Israel-Hamas war. At least 80 Palestinians were killed and 47 others were injured, with several victims being trapped in the school as the fire spread, according to Palestinian health authorities.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tondo, Lorenzo (10 July 2024). "Israeli strike on Khan Younis shelter kills at least 31 amid surge in Gaza fighting". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Najjar, Farah. "Gaza City 'uninhabitable' as UN experts blast Israeli 'starvation campaign'". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "Israel bombs Gaza school, killing 30 Palestinians as truce talks continue". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "Dozens killed in Gaza as Israel strikes fourth school in four days". France24. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "Deadly Israeli strike on school-turned-shelter in southern Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  6. ↑ Goodwin, Allegra; Schmitz, Avery; Mezzofiore, Gianluca (10 July 2024). "US-made munitions used in deadly Israeli strike on school complex near Khan Younis, CNN analysis finds". CNN. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  7. ↑ Video shows the moment a deadly strike hits Al-Awda school in Gaza. YouTube (News). NBC News. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  8. ↑ Abdulrahim, Raja. "A deadly Israeli strike at a school turned shelter shatters a moment of cheer". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  9. ↑ Al-Mughrabi, Nidal. "More than two dozen Gazans killed in Israeli strike". Reuters. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  10. ↑ Abdulrahim, Raja; Fuller, Thomas. "Carnage at Gaza School Compound Adds to Mounting Death Toll at U.N. Buildings". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Gaza: Israeli strike on camp next to school kills 25 - hospital". BBC. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  12. ↑ Da Silva, Chantal. "Dozens killed as '4 schools in the last 4 days' struck in Gaza". NBC News. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  13. ↑ "Israeli attack on school shelter kills dozens". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  14. ↑ "حماس تدعو لمسيرات غضب بعد مجزرة الاحتلال في مدرسة تؤوي نازحين". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  15. ↑ "Israeli strike kills dozens at school sheltering displaced Palestinians". YouTube. CBC News. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  16. ↑ Najjar, Farah. "Gaza City 'uninhabitable' as UN experts blast Israeli 'starvation campaign'". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  17. ↑ McCready, Alastair; Rowlands, Lyndal. "'Massacre': At least 29 killed as Israeli warplane hits another Gaza school". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  18. ↑ Stack, Liam; Patil, Anushka. "The Israeli military said it was 'looking into reports that civilians were harmed.'". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  19. ↑ "France Says Israeli Strikes On Gaza Schools 'Unacceptable'". Barron's. Agence France Presse. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
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