Israeli military must stop attacking schools that provide the last shelter to Palestinians in Gaza – OHCHR Press Release

23 September 2024

The Israeli military must stop attacking schools that provide the last shelter to Palestinians in Gaza as rains threaten to flood IDP tents. In the last three days alone, the Israeli military struck three schools serving as shelters for IDPs. On 21 September, 22 Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces hit Az Zaytun School in Gaza City; on 22 September, 7 Palestinians were killed when the military struck Kafar Qasam School also in Gaza City, and last night, a Palestinian girl and her parents were killed when the Israeli military struck Khalid Bin Waleed school in An Nuseirat. In each of the strikes, the fatalities included children and women, with at least 16 children out of 32 killed in total. In September alone, 10 schools have been hit, with 86 fatalities reported.

We reiterate that all parties to the conflict have an obligation to respect and protect civilians. Palestinian armed groups must refrain from deliberately co-locating military objectives and civilians or civilian objects and must take all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population and civilian objects under their control against the effects of attacks. Even where Palestinian armed groups have failed to comply with these basic principles of IHL, Israeli forces retain their obligations to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack.

Considering the pattern of civilian harm and damage, the measures taken by the Israeli military in these cases do not appear to have been sufficient to prevent disproportionate harm and damage.

The children of Gaza have already lost schools as a place of education. Now, they are being killed in schools as they seek shelter. This must end.