UNRWA workers among at least 18 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza school sheltering thousands

At least 18 people were killed, including six workers from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), marking the deadliest single incident for UNRWA staff since Israel's military offensive began last October.

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Image Credit: Eyad BABA/AFP

A deadly Israeli airstrike on a United Nations school in Gaza, which was sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians, has once again sparked outrage across the international community. At least 18 people were killed, including six workers from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), marking the deadliest single incident for UNRWA staff since Israel’s military offensive began last October.

The airstrike targeted a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp, located in central Gaza. The building was meant to serve as a refuge for around 12,000 displaced people, primarily women and children, and had already been hit five times since the Israeli military campaign commenced. Among the victims were the shelter’s manager and other UNRWA team members who were providing essential aid to the displaced population.

“This school has been hit five times since the war began,” the UN agency stated, emphasizing the devastation of losing so many of its staff members in one strike. UNRWA added that this attack represents “the highest death toll among our staff in a single incident.”

UNRWA and other humanitarian organizations have condemned the Israeli strikes as violations of international law. The United Nations previously designated the Nuseirat school as a “deconflicted” zone, meaning it was reported to Israeli forces as an area meant to be protected from military attacks. Despite this, the school was not spared.

“No one is safe in Gaza. No one is spared,” UNRWA declared after the attack. “Schools and other civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times, they are not a target.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also weighed in, demanding an end to the violence. He described the attacks as “dramatic violations of international humanitarian law” and reiterated the urgent need for Israel to halt its assault on civilian infrastructure. The strikes not only violate established international laws but also further complicate the efforts of humanitarian workers striving to assist the most vulnerable.

This most recent attack adds to the mounting death toll in Gaza, where over 145,000 Palestinians have been reported dead, maimed, or missing since the start of Israel’s military operations 341 days ago. According to Palestinian and international officials, the ongoing military campaign has resulted in the displacement of nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants. The conditions within the blockaded territory are dire: many Palestinians are suffering from starvation, malnutrition, and lack of medical care, as Israel enforces a “complete siege” of Gaza.

UNRWA reported that since the conflict began, more than 200 of its staff members have been killed, with more than 450 attacks on the agency’s facilities. Despite these assaults, UNRWA has remained committed to its mission of providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population, sheltering thousands under its care even as they face constant danger.

Israel has alleged that some UNRWA staff members were involved in the Hamas-led attack on October 7, leading to a temporary cessation of funding from multiple nations. These accusations, reportedly extracted from Palestinian prisoners through a regime of torture and abuse, were later debunked, and most of the countries that cut off funding have since restored their contributions. However, the U.S. stands as a notable exception—President Joe Biden signed a bill in March that prohibited American funding for UNRWA.

The accusations against UNRWA staff, combined with Israel’s military actions, have fueled a humanitarian crisis that is drawing increasing criticism from human rights groups and international organizations.

While international outcry continues to grow, the U.S. government has remained one of Israel’s most significant backers. Since the Hamas-led attack in October, the U.S. has provided over 50,000 tons of weapons and military equipment to Israel. The Biden administration recently approved a $20 billion arms deal that includes F-15 fighter jets, mortar shells, and other military equipment.

This continued support has been met with sharp criticism from progressives in the U.S. political sphere. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voiced his outrage following the school bombing, saying, “No more money for Netanyahu’s war machine.” Sanders pointed to the string of atrocities committed by Israeli forces in recent days, including the bombing of designated “safe zones” and the killing of an American citizen in the West Bank. “Enough is enough,” Sanders wrote on social media.

This is not the first time Israeli forces have violated deconflicted zones. Just days before the Nuseirat school attack, Israeli forces bombed a food stand located near three polio vaccination centers in northern Gaza. The airstrike killed five Palestinians, raising further concerns about Israel’s commitment to its deconfliction agreements. Humanitarian groups like Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor have documented similar airstrikes in southern Gaza, suggesting a consistent pattern of violations by Israeli forces.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has also reported on Israel’s recent evacuation orders in northern Gaza, which have displaced civilians from several neighborhoods that include polio vaccination sites. Such attacks and evacuations undermine the critical vaccination campaigns that could help prevent the spread of diseases like polio, further compounding the suffering of Gaza’s population.

“No one is safe in Gaza. No one is spared,” UNRWA said in a statement following the school attack. “Schools and other civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times, they are not a target.”

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