Islamic Relief is horrified at the massacre of dozens of civilians at one of the school shelters where we have been distributing daily hot meals to displaced families.
Today’s attack at al-Tabeen school in Gaza City is the deadliest on a school shelter yet, with reports of 80-100 people killed and many more injured as Israeli missiles tore through classrooms and the prayer room during dawn Fajr prayers. Around 2,000 young children, women and men have been sheltering at the school after the Israeli military ordered them to leave their homes. The nearest hospital is overwhelmed with casualties, with many badly burnt or bleeding severely from shrapnel wounds, and it does not have the medical supplies to treat them all.
We are horrified but we are no longer shocked by such massacres, as Israel continues to bomb people’s shelters almost daily with complete impunity and disregard for international law. 85% of all schools in Gaza (477 out of 564) have now been damaged by bombing.
Usama Khan, CEO of Islamic Relief Canada, says:
"Once again a school intended for refuge and safety has been bombed. The tragic nature of this news, though heart-wrenching, has regrettably become all too familiar in Gaza. Many of us are preparing to send our own children back to school and while we do this children in Gaza are sheltering in schools which are being targeted. Our dedicated teams on the ground, who have tirelessly worked to deliver essential food supplies to this school shelter, are now grappling with the shock of today's devastating reports. This blatant disregard for human life demands prompt and resolute action from the Canadian government and world leaders alike.”
The school is one of many across Gaza where Islamic Relief and partner agencies have been providing daily cooked meals to families – often the only meal they get to eat each day as famine conditions and starvation have spread. Islamic Relief has also conducted psychosocial activities such as games and entertainment for displaced children at the school. No Islamic Relief staff or partners were present at the time of the bombing.
This latest massacre brings the death toll in Gaza to almost 40,000 Palestinians, with around 92,000 injured. An astounding 1 in every 17 people in Gaza has now been killed or wounded in just over 10 months, with every single person affected.
Tens of thousands more people have been ordered to move yet again over the past few days, with the Israeli military herding people into small areas that are now extremely overcrowded and rife with starvation and disease. Many families have now been displaced 9 or 10 times over the past 10 months and the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza has reduced to little more than a trickle.
The international community has completely failed the people of Gaza. World leaders, including the Canadian government, must use all the pressure they can to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the constant forced displacement and attacks on fleeing civilians, and ensure accountability for such actions.