Gaza School Strike Leaves 6 UN Workers Dead: "Appalling" Says UK Foreign Secretary

Strategic Insights -

The deadly strike on a UN school in Gaza, which killed six UN workers, has been condemned by David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary, as "appalling". The attack on the Al-Jaouni Preparatory Boys School in the Nuseirat refugee camp was the deadliest ever for UN staff, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa). The strike is the latest in a series of attacks on the school, which has been targeted at least five times since Israel launched its air and ground offensive in Gaza last October.

Key Takeaways:

  • The strike on the Al-Jaouni Preparatory Boys School in Gaza killed six UN workers, in what the UK foreign secretary described as "appalling".
  • The UN school, housing about 12,000 displaced people, mostly women and children, has been attacked at least five times since Israel launched its air and ground offensive in Gaza last October.
  • The Israeli military claimed its strike targeted a Hamas command and control centre in Nuseirat as part of its war inside Gaza, without providing evidence of Hamas' involvement.
  • Unrwa director Philippe Lazzarini said that the humanitarian agency's staff, premises, and operations have been "blatantly and unabatedly disregarded" since the start of the war.
  • The war in Gaza has killed over 41,000 Palestinians, displaced nearly 90% of the territory's 2.3 million population, and made 2023 a deadlier year for aid workers, with 280 killed in 33 countries.
  • The war was triggered by Hamas' attack inside Israel on 7 October, killing around 1,000 people and taking 250 hostages.
  • Israel has been accused of using disproportionate force and targeting civilian infrastructure in Gaza.

Statistics:

  • Five attacks on the Al-Jaouni Preparatory Boys School have occurred since Israel launched its air and ground offensive in Gaza last October.
  • 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza, according to health officials in the strip.
  • 280 aid workers were killed in 33 countries in 2023, with this year "may be on track for an even deadlier outcome," according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
  • Nearly 90% of the territory's 2.3 million population has been displaced, with many displaced multiple times.
  • 16 people were killed in a strike at the school in July, according to Palestinian officials.
  • The war in Gaza has caused significant damage to the territory's infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and homes.

Sources:

  • David Lammy, UK foreign secretary, via statement.
  • Unrwa, via statement.
  • Simon Harris, prime minister of Ireland, via statement.
  • Sam Rose, senior deputy director of Unrwa affairs in Gaza, via Al Jazeera.
  • Philippe Lazzarini, Unrwa director, via statement.
  • UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, via report.
  • Palestinian officials, via statement.
  • Israeli military, via statement.
  • Health officials in Gaza, via statement.
  • Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, via statement.