Gaza: Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Thursday that Israeli forces have bombed more than 500 schools sheltering displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023. The strikes have resulted in the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians and left all targeted schools either completely destroyed or severely damaged.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, in a statement issued on Thursday, Human Rights Watch affirmed that the Israeli's deliberate targeting of schools that had been converted into shelters is part of a military offensive that is destroying most of Gaza's remaining civilian infrastructure. This has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians once again, worsening the already dire humanitarian situation.
The organization highlighted that the Israeli attacks on schools underscore the absence of safe spaces for the displaced, who constitute the vast majority of Gaza's population. HRW added that these strikes have deprived civilians of safe shelters and have disrupted education in Gaza, warning that repairing and rebuilding schools will require significant resources and time.
Furthermore, HRW has called for an arms embargo on Israel and urgent measures to enforce the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
