In a devastating airstrike early Thursday morning, an Israeli warplane fired missiles into a United Nations school in the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, where thousands of displaced Palestinians had taken shelter. The attack has drawn international condemnation and calls for transparency from Israeli officials.
While the Israeli military claimed it conducted a “precise strike” on a Hamas compound within the school, witnesses and humanitarian workers painted a scene of utter chaos and horror. Videos circulating online show destroyed classrooms, debris strewn about, and shrouded bodies being rushed to overwhelmed hospitals.
The death toll remains unconfirmed, with reports ranging from at least 35 fatalities cited by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) to as many as 40 killed, including 14 children and 9 women, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Dozens more were injured in the strike.
“I was asleep when the explosion happened,” recounted Udai Abu Elias, a displaced person sheltering at the school. “Smoke filled the air and I couldn’t see anything. I didn’t expect to make it out alive. I heard someone calling for survivors from under the rubble. I stumbled over the bodies of the martyrs.”
The United States has urged Israel to publicly identify the Hamas militants it claims were targeted, an unusual request that underscores the gravity of the situation. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “If it is accurate that 14 children were killed, those aren’t terrorists…We expect [Israel] to be fully transparent in making that information public.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the strike on UN premises, stating they must remain “inviolable” and protected during conflicts. The attack compounds the devastation in Gaza, where over 36,000 Palestinians have perished in nearly 8 months of fighting according to Hamas officials.
As international outcry mounts, mediators continue efforts to broker a ceasefire and humanitarian aid deal proposed by the US. However, progress remains elusive in ending the protracted crisis that has upended countless lives and brought repeated tragedy to the civilians of Gaza.