In its latest offensive in the Gaza Strip, Israel has killed six United Nations humanitarian workers in an airstrike targeting a school sheltering displaced Palestinians. The attack marks the latest strike on civilians and UN staff amid the ongoing conflict.
The strike, which occurred on Wednesday, hit the Al-Jaouni school in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, killing at least 18 people and severely damaging parts of the UN-run facility. The school, which provides shelter to around 12,000 displaced Palestinians, mostly women and children, was partially flattened in the attack.
Among those killed were six staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), including the shelter manager and five additional personnel. This incident is the fifth time the school has been targeted since the Israeli offensive began 11 months ago.
UNRWA described the strike as the deadliest incident for its staff since the onset of hostilities, stating it marked “the highest death toll among our staff in a single incident.” The total number of UNRWA staff members killed in Gaza has now risen to 220.
The international community has strongly condemned Israel’s latest attack on a civilian and humanitarian facility. UN Secretary-General António Guterres labelled the strike as “totally unacceptable,” stressing that it violated international law meant to protect civilians during conflict.
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, also expressed his outrage over the attack, stating, “disregard of the basic principles of international humanitarian law, especially protection of civilians, cannot and should not be accepted by the international community.”
