An Israeli airstrike on a United Nations-run school in central Gaza was reported Thursday night. The school, like many other UN schools and facilities, served as a shelter for the 1.7 million displaced Palestinians who have fled their homes during the war.
The Ibero-American Commission on Human Rights for the Development of the Americas (CIDHPDA), in the voice of its President Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean, Víctor Hugo Gutiérrez Yáñez, condemns these events that have already resulted in nearly 45 deaths, according to the report of the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The Israeli Army justified itself by saying that its target was an alleged Hamas compound operating inside the school, however, the Gaza government press office rejected this claim. Media outlets report that at least three missiles hit the three-story building, which housed about 20,000 people.
At the CIDHPDA we demand that the Israeli government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, sign the ceasefire and return peace to that region. It is unacceptable that the human rights of thousands of Palestinians continue to be violated and that innocent people are losing their lives. We also call for respect for UN facilities and any other facilities run by civilian organizations seeking to provide humanitarian aid. Any facility that serves as a shelter must be protected by all parties involved in the conflict.