Gaza: At Least 15 Deaths After Massacre in Jabalia

Rescue workers amid the rubble in the of the School in Jabalia, Sept 26, 2024 Photo: Middle East Eye

September 26, 2024 Hour: 3:52 pm

An Israeli airstrike on the Hafsa al-Fallujah school in the Jabalia refugee camp, north of Gaza, has caused at least 15 deaths and several injuries among displaced Palestinians who were taking refuge there, Al Jazeera reported on 26 September.

The IDF said the attack was because the school was used as a «command and control centre» for Hamas, according to the report. However, this is not the first time that Israel has attacked civilian facilities such as schools and hospitals that serve as shelters for displaced Palestinians.

This incident takes place in the context of a conflict that has displaced approximately 90 per cent of the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza. The Israeli military campaign, which has been going on for almost a year, has resulted in more than 41,000 deaths, mainly of women and children.

In a related incident, on Wednesday 25 September, Israel returned 88 unidentified Palestinian bodies to Gaza. Reuters reported that the decaying bodies were transported in a container through an Israeli-controlled crossing. The IDF did not provide details of the identities, ages or circumstances of the deaths.

Scenes from a holocaust. The German-backed Zionist genocide regime dumped 88 Palestinian bodies in Gaza that it had been withholding for months, with no identification of who they are. The health ministry in Gaza is refusing to bury them without the enemy providing information… https://t.co/3cFY7NmUhV
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) September 26, 2024

The Gaza Ministry of Health issued a statement refusing to hand over the bodies: We have refused to hand over 88 corpses sent by the Israeli occupation, claiming that they lack identifying information. We urge the Red Cross to fulfill its international responsibilities in handling the bodies, ensuring that details such as names, ages and recovery sites are provided to respect the dignity and rights of the deceased and their families».

According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Israel holds some 9,500 Palestinians, including hundreds of children and women. Approximately one third are detained without charge or trial. The UN has received reports of widespread abuse, torture and sexual assault in these detention centres.

UN human rights experts have documented testimonies of detainees subjected to inhumane conditions and various types of physical and psychological abuse. These reports include cases of electrocution, deprivation of basic needs and acts of sexual and gender-based violence.