Conflict in Gaza - U.S. seeks clarity from Israel over civilian deaths in attack on school structure.
The US is pushing for a thorough examination of the lethal airstrike carried out by the Israeli army on a school in the Gaza Strip. The US State Department's spokesperson, Matthew Miller, stated on Thursday (local time) that if Israel was aiming to kill around 20 to 30 extremists but innocents ended up dying, "that speaks volumes." He went on to say that all such incidents need to be thoroughly examined, which is what the US wants to witness.
A UN-run school building in the Nuseirat refugee camp was being utilized as a temporary shelter by the United Nations Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). As per Palestinian officials, at least 30 people were killed in the attack. Meanwhile, the Islamist Hamas group claimed that 40 deaths had occurred. Medical sources said that the majority of the casualties were women, children, and adolescents. The accuracy of these statements could not be confirmed at first.
The school in the Gaza Strip also served as a refuge
The Israeli army stated that around 20 to 30 members of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad were present in three classrooms during the attack. Preliminary findings suggest that many of them perished. Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari asserted that previous intelligence information indicated that "no women or children" were in the targeted rooms. Reports have surfaced that the school was being monitored and the attack had been delayed twice to minimize civilian harm, claims that are presently unverifiable.
Miller mentioned a challenging scenario. While Israel has the authority to take action against extremists who seek shelter there, these extremists had taken sanctuary near civilians, resulting in Israel's responsibility to minimize harm to these civilians. It is imperative that Israel's government and army provide a complete account of what transpired.
Ever since the conflict started, UN-operated school buildings have frequently been used as a haven for internally displaced persons, with the expectation that Israel's army would generally refrain from attacking these premises. Nevertheless, Israel alleges that Hamas operates from civilian institutions, endangering civilians or deliberately utilizing them as a shield.
Hagari announced that the identities of the slain terrorists would be made public soon. Some of them were reportedly involved in the massacre of October 7 last year, which is the most devastating event in Israel's history, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and the kidnapping of more than 250 hostages into the Hamas-controlled coastal area.
