Written by Lisa Murimi
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has confirmed that six of its staff members were killed in an Israeli airstrike on al-Jaouni school in central Gaza on Wednesday, September 11.
The strike, which also killed 12 others, occurred at the Nuseirat refugee camp, where the school was sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians.
Israel’s military stated that it had targeted terrorists planning attacks from within the school, claiming measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties.
However, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, calling it a “dramatic violation of international humanitarian law” and demanded an immediate halt to such actions.
UNRWA revealed that this incident marked the highest single loss of life among its staff since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023.
It also noted that this was the fifth time the school had been hit in the past year.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, defended the airstrike, accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields.
Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by Israel, the UK, and others, denied using civilian sites for military purposes.
The conflict has claimed over 41,080 lives in Gaza, according to local health authorities.
