An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school-turned-shelter, killing 18 people, has led to strong global condemnation. The al-Jaouni school in Nuseirat, operated by UNRWA, was partially destroyed during the attack, which killed six UN workers, marking the highest death toll among its staff in a single incident.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the strike as “totally unacceptable,” while the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also expressed outrage. Women and children were reportedly among the casualties.
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Jordan’s Foreign Ministry denounced the strike, calling Israel’s continued violations of international law a result of the absence of a decisive international stance. The situation in Gaza has prompted growing calls for an immediate halt to the violence.
The Israeli military claimed the school had become a “legitimate target” due to Hamas allegedly using it for military purposes. Israeli officials said numerous steps were taken to reduce civilian risk but provided no evidence to support their claims.
UNRWA rejected the accusations, stating they had no awareness of any requests for information from Israel and reiterated their call for all sides to respect civilian spaces. The agency also stressed that the school’s coordinates were known and should have protected those inside.
