On Saturday morning, during dawn prayers at Al Tabaeen School in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the IDF conducted multiple strikes on a mosque, resulting in the deaths of at least 93 Palestinians, including 11 children and six women. This attack, according to the UN rights office, OHCHR, was carried out with apparent disregard for civilian fatalities.
The ongoing war in Gaza has taken a devastating toll on the Palestinian population, with at least 39,699 killed and 91,722 injured between October 7th and August 8th. More than 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, many of them multiple times, since the conflict began. Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages, with over 100 people still held captive in Gaza as negotiations continue to end the war.
Schools, UN facilities, and civilian infrastructure should never be targets of conflict, emphasized Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees. In a social media post on Saturday, Lazzarini condemned the attack on the school in Gaza, urging all parties involved to protect civilians and refrain from using schools and other civilian facilities for military purposes.
The strike on Al Tabaeen School marks the 21st attack on a school serving as a shelter since July, resulting in at least 274 fatalities, including women and children. Despite IDF claims of taking measures to avoid civilian harm, the repeated strikes on shelters for displaced people indicate a failure to comply with international humanitarian law, as noted by OHCHR.
The systematic targeting of schools comes at a time when Gaza’s population is already facing immense challenges, including forced displacements, the destruction of residential buildings, and restrictions on humanitarian aid. Internally displaced Gazans are experiencing unimaginable horrors after nearly a year of hostilities, with diseases spreading rapidly and access to essential services severely limited.
The international community has a responsibility to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza and ensure the protection of civilians, especially in places like schools that should be safe havens. The loss of innocent lives, including children and women, is a tragic consequence of the conflict that must be addressed through concerted efforts to end the violence and facilitate a lasting peace in the region.
As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, urgent action is needed to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. The targeting of schools and other civilian infrastructure must be condemned in the strongest terms, and all parties to the conflict must prioritize the protection of civilians and adhere to international humanitarian law to prevent further atrocities.
