Shadia Abu Ghazala School massacre

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Shadia Abu Ghazala School massacre
Part of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
LocationShadia Abu Ghazala School in Al-Faluja area, west of the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip near the Indonesia Hospital
Date13 December 2023
TargetShadia Abu Ghazala School
Attack type
Massacre
Deaths15+ civilians
PerpetratorsFlag of Israel.svg  Israel
Flag of the Israel Defense Forces.svg  Israel Defense Forces
Flag of the Israeli Army (Land Arm) Gray.svg  Israeli Ground Forces

On 13 December 2023, the bodies of fifteen Palestinians were discovered at the Shadia Abu Ghazala School, west of Jabalia refugee camp in Al-Faluja, Gaza Strip. The school had been used as a shelter and had been surrounded by the Israeli military for several days. [1] [2] Images released several days after showed damage to the school's interior. [3]

Contents

Witnesses

Eyewitnesses reported the victims had been shot and killed point-blank by Israeli soldiers. [4] [5] A woman stated, "They took all men, then entered classrooms and opened fire on a woman and all the children with her." [6]

A grandfather of some of the victims stated that IDF soldiers had entered the school and began shooting indiscriminately, stating, "They are my children and grandchildren. Why did they shoot them in front of my eyes?" [7]

The brother of one of the victims stated that when he returned to the scene, he found the bodies of his family shot at point-blank range, "swollen and filled with worms". [8]

Reactions

The Euro-Med Monitor stated the victims were subjected to "field executions" while being questioned. [9] The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on the Biden administration to respond to reports of the massacre. [10]

Related Research Articles

Note: The death toll quoted here is just the sum of the listings. There may be many omissions from the list. The human rights organisation B'Tselem has complied statistics of about 600 deaths during 2003 in the occupied territories alone.

In 2004, the Israeli Defense Forces launched Operation "Days of Penitence", otherwise known as Operation "Days of Repentance" in the northern Gaza Strip. The operation lasted between 29 September and 16 October 2004. About 130 Palestinians, and 1 Israeli were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jabalia refugee camp</span> Refugee camp in North Gaza, State of Palestine

Jabalia Camp is a Palestinian refugee camp created by the United Nations following Israel's war of independence in 1948. Despite its name, it is nowadays an urban agglomeration located 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) north of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip. It is the largest refugee camp in Palestinian territory, with more than 100,000 inhabitants.

The year 2023 in Israel was defined first by wide-scale protests against a proposed judicial reform, and then by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, which led to a war and to Israel invading the Gaza Strip.

Events in 2023 in the Palestinian territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel</span> 2023 military operation into Israel and massacre

On 7 October 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel, the first invasion of Israeli territory since the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups named the attacks Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, while in Israel they are referred to as Black Saturday or the Simchat Torah Massacre, and internationally as the 7 October attack. The attacks launched the ongoing Israel–Hamas 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">Israeli war crimes</span> War crimes the IDF is accused of committing

Israeli war crimes are the violations of international criminal law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide, which the Israel Defense Forces, the military branch of the state of Israel, has been accused of committing since the founding of Israel in 1948. These have included murder, intentional targeting of civilians, killing prisoners of war and surrendered combatants, indiscriminate attacks, collective punishment, starvation, the use of human shields, sexual violence and rape, torture, pillage, forced transfer, breach of medical neutrality, targeting journalists, attacking civilian and protected objects, wanton destruction, incitement to genocide, and genocide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kfar Aza massacre</span> Attack on Kfar Aza kibbutz

On 7 October 2023, around 70 Hamas militants attacked Kfar Aza, a kibbutz about 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) from the border with the Gaza Strip, massacring residents and abducting several hostages.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Wikipedia articles available about the Israel–Hamas war. It is an evolving list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip (2023–present)</span> Israeli military operation

On 27 October 2023, Israel launched an ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip with the stated goals of destroying Hamas, a military and political movement that led an attack on Israel earlier in the month, and to free hostages taken by the group. Before the invasion, dubbed Operation Swords of Iron, Israel declared war, tightened its blockade, and ordered the evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the military forces of the State of Israel, has on several occasions been involved in incidents that resulted in accusations of misconduct or potential breaches of international law. In some instances, initial official statements or denials were later revised following internal investigations, which subsequently acknowledged wrongdoing or provided more clarity on events. This article documents such instances, emphasizing the timeline from initial denial to subsequent acknowledgment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War crimes in the Israel–Hamas war</span> Violations of the laws of war during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Since the start of the Israel–Hamas war on 7 October 2023, the UN Human Rights Council has identified "clear evidence" of war crimes by both Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces. A UN Commission to the Israel–Palestine conflict stated that there is "clear evidence that war crimes may have been committed in the latest explosion of violence in Israel and Gaza, and all those who have violated international law and targeted civilians must be held accountable." On 27 October, a spokesperson for the OHCHR called for an independent court to review potential war crimes committed by both sides.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists as of 5 April 2024 the Israel–Hamas conflict has claimed the lives of at least 2 Israeli and 3 Lebanese journalists, as well as, according to the government media office in Gaza on 26 March, 136 Palestinian journalists. This toll, along with other acts of violence targeting journalists, marks the deadliest period for journalists in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict since 1992 and the deadliest commencement of a war for journalists in the 21st century. On 30 January 2024, the head of the Committee to Protect Journalists stated, "Israel's war on Gaza is more deadly to journalists than any previous war". Israeli airstrikes additionally damaged or destroyed an estimated 48 media facilities in Gaza. Reporters Without Borders has reported that the Israeli army intentionally targeted Palestinian and Lebanese journalists. In 2023, nearly 75% of journalists killed worldwide were Palestinians who had died in Israel’s war in Gaza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">31 October 2023 Jabalia refugee camp airstrike</span> Airstrike on Jabalia refugee camp

The Jabalia refugee camp, which has been the target of multiple Israeli air strikes during the Israel–Hamas war, was struck again on 31 October, killing at least 50 Palestinians and trapping more than a hundred beneath the rubble, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Indonesia Hospital said most casualties were women and children. Gaza Interior Ministry stated the camp had been "completely destroyed," with preliminary estimates of about 400 wounded or dead. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed that Israeli fighter jets attacked the refugee camp, and stated that the attack killed a Hamas commander who lead the 7 October attacks, dozens of Palestinian militants, and destroyed Palestinian tunnels. Hamas denied the presence of any commander and said Israel was using these claims as an excuse for the attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Gaza City</span> 2023 military engagement in the 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, currently trapped in a "siege within a siege" in northern Gaza.

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

Since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel 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 as part of its military operations in the Israel–Hamas war.

References

  1. "Women, children & babies killed "execution-style" in Gaza School". Jordan News. 13 December 2023. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  2. Atwood, Jordan (15 December 2023). "Gaza in mourning: Unraveling the truth behind the Shadia Abu Ghazala school tragedy". Nation of Change. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  3. "Damage at Shadia Abu Ghazaleh school following an Israeli raid, in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip". The Denver Gazette. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  4. "Bodies of women, children, babies 'shot dead by Israeli forces' found in Gaza school". The New Arab. 13 December 2023. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  5. Warah, Leila (14 December 2023). "Gaza: Civilians Killed Execution-Style and Children Sleeping in the Rain". Truthout . Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  6. "Footage shows bodies piled up after Israeli attack on Gaza school". YouTube. Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  7. Sabah, Abed. "Gaza grandfather describes killing of his family by Israeli soldiers". Reuters. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  8. Zaanin, Mohamed. "Classroom massacre: Survivors say Israel executed innocents in Gaza school". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  9. "Israel turns schools into military centres, conducting field executions and mass killings". Euro-Med Monitor. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  10. "CAIR Calls on Biden Admin to Respond to Alleged Israeli 'Execution-Style' Massacre of Women, Children and Babies Seeking Refuge in Gaza School". CAIR. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.