UN: Israeli bombardment hits 212 schools in Gaza

By THE INDEPENDENT UG

NITED NATIONS | Xinhua | The relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israel has resulted in “direct hits” on 212 schools within the enclave, according to analysis conducted in partnership with the United Nations, which was released on Wednesday.

Satellite images have revealed that at least 53 schools have been “completely destroyed” since the conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, accompanied by an almost 9-percent increase in attacks on school facilities since mid-February, as reported by the UN children’s fund (UNICEF), the Education Cluster, and Save the Children.

The “escalating trend of attacks on school facilities” has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the report’s authors noted, amidst “intense Israeli bombardment from air, land, and sea across much of the Gaza Strip.”

Out of the 563 school buildings in Gaza, 165 of the 212 that were directly hit are located in areas designated for evacuation by the Israeli military. Data indicates that 62 schools were directly targeted in the southern Khan Younis governorate, 14 in the Middle Area governorate, 94 in Gaza governorate, and 42 in North Gaza governorate — the most severely affected area to date, with 86.2 percent of school buildings either directly hit or damaged.

Furthermore, more than one in two school premises managed by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) have been struck since October last year, according to the report, in addition to government buildings targeted by Israeli shelling or during ground operations.

“Education has come to a halt in Gaza for nearly six months,” UNRWA stated on Wednesday following the publication of the UN-partnered report, highlighting that over 625,000 students and 22,000 teachers attended school before Oct. 7.

Additional findings from satellite imagery and other sources “provide evidence for military use of schools” by Israeli Security Forces “since the beginning of the escalation.”

Moreover, the report emphasized that since Oct. 7, over 320 school buildings have been used as shelters by displaced individuals. Among these facilities, 188 have been directly hit or damaged.

The authors of the report stated that once the conflict ends, at least 67 percent of schools in Gaza “will require either complete reconstruction or significant rehabilitation to become functional again.”