Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed profound concern on Sunday regarding Israel’s recent attacks on two UN-operated schools in Gaza within the last 24 hours.
Emphasizing the sanctity of UN facilities, Guterres conveyed his deep shock at the strikes on the UNRWA schools, resulting in numerous casualties, particularly among women and children seeking refuge on United Nations premises.
In a statement, Guterres underscored the inviolable nature of UN facilities and highlighted the intensified conflict’s alarming toll on Palestinian civilians.
He deemed the number of civilian casualties, especially women and children, as “staggering” and “unacceptable,” urging an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The Secretary-General reiterated the call for an urgent humanitarian cease-fire, acknowledging and commending Qatar for its mediation efforts in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas following the group’s cross-border attack on Israel last month.
Israeli air raids reportedly claimed the lives of many Palestinians at Al Fakhoura school in the Jabalia refugee camp and another school in Tall az-Zaatar, both in northern Gaza.
Numerous individuals sought shelter at these schools, attempting to escape the continuous Israeli attacks.
Earlier, an official from the health ministry in the Gaza Strip reported that over 80 people were killed in dual Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp on Saturday.
The source stated that at least 50 people lost their lives in an Israeli strike at dawn on the UN-run Al-Fakhura school in the camp, repurposed as a shelter for displaced Palestinians. Additionally, a separate strike on another building in the camp killed 32 people from the same family, including 19 children.
Videos on social media depicted scenes of bodies covered in blood and dust within a building where mattresses were placed under school tables. Jabalia is the largest refugee camp in Gaza, with more than 1.6 million people displaced during the six-plus weeks of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli army did not respond to requests for comment on the two strikes. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) also could not provide an immediate reaction.
In early November, the Hamas government reported that over 200 people were killed, and hundreds more were wounded in Israeli bombardments on the Jabalia camp over three consecutive days.
Israel has pledged to destroy Hamas in response to the October 7 attacks, which Israeli officials claim killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians in southern Israel, and resulted in about 240 people being taken hostage.
The army’s ongoing air and ground campaign, according to the Hamas government, has since claimed the lives of 12,000 people, including 5,000 children. Hamas has been in control of Gaza since 2007.
