Israeli Bombardment Hits 212 Schools in Gaza: UNICEF

March 28, 2024 Hour: 12:58 pm

On Wednesday, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Education Cluster, and Save the Children released a study showing that heavy bombardment against Gaza by Israel has resulted in “direct hits” on 212 schools within the enclave.

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Satellite images have shown that at least 53 schools have been “completely destroyed” since the conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, along with an almost 9-percent rise in attacks on school facilities since mid-February.

The “high trend of attacks on school facilities” has worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the report’s authors noted, amid “intense Israeli bombardment from air, land, and sea across much of the Gaza Strip,” the study stated.

Of the 563 school buildings in Gaza, 165 of the 212 that received a direct hit are in areas designated for evacuation by the Israeli military.

Israel launched 200+ “direct hits” on schools in Gaza since the war began, according to a new report by @UNICEF and partners.

More here ⤵️https://t.co/pgO6ji1Sd5 pic.twitter.com/sq32w88l1Q

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre)
March 28, 2024

Data indicates that 62 schools were directly targeted in southern Khan Younis governorate, 14 in the Middle Area governorate, 94 in Gaza governorate, and 42 in North Gaza governorate — which is the most severely affected area to date, with 86.2 percent of school buildings either directly hit or damaged.

More than one in two school premises run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) have also been hit since October 2023, along with government buildings targeted by Israeli shelling or during the ground operation.

“No education is happening in Gaza at all for nearly six months,” UNRWA said, noting that over 625,00 students and 22,000 teachers attended school before Oct. 7.

Additional findings derived from the satellite imagery and other sources “provide evidence for military use of schools” by Israeli Security Forces “since the beginning of the escalation.”

Since October, over 320 school buildings have been utilized as shelters by displaced individuals. Among these facilities, 188 have experienced direct hits or have been damaged.

Once the Israeli offensive ends, at least 67 percent of Gaza’s schools “will require either complete reconstruction or significant rehabilitation to become functional again,” the report states.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Thousands of people marched for the third consecutive night, in front of the Israeli embassy in Amman, the capital of Jordan, in support of the people of the Gaza Strip and against the Israeli genocide. pic.twitter.com/UGKqG9Kq8B

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
March 28, 2024