An Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza City, which the Israeli military claimed was a “command center” for Hamas “terrorists,” resulted in nearly one hundred deaths and sparked intense reactions worldwide.
Last night, the Israeli military asserted that the strike eliminated “at least 19 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists,” releasing a list of names.
The White House expressed “deep concern” over the bombing. A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council stated, “This underscores the urgent need for a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages, which we are tirelessly working to achieve.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also commented on the “large number of casualties” once again.
Iran condemned the attack as a “war crime” and called on the international community to support the Palestinian people. A representative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, “This attack proves once again that Israel’s apartheid regime respects neither international law nor moral and human principles.”
Qatar, which has been mediating indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, called for an “urgent international investigation.”
The emirate’s diplomacy demanded “the deployment of independent UN investigators to investigate the ongoing targeting of schools and displaced persons’ shelters by Israeli occupation forces.”
The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said he was “horrified by the images from the school in Gaza that served as a shelter (for displaced people) and was hit by an Israeli raid with reportedly dozens of Palestinian victims.” He added, “At least ten schools have been targeted in recent weeks. There is no justification for these massacres.”
The French Foreign Ministry “strongly condemned” the Israeli bombing. “For weeks now, school buildings have repeatedly been targeted, with an unbearable number of civilian casualties,” the ministry noted, reminding Israel that “it is obligated to respect international humanitarian law.”
London also expressed “horror” at the new school bombing, demanding an “immediate ceasefire.” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated, “Hamas must stop endangering civilians. Israel must comply with international humanitarian law.”
The Spanish government condemned the “attack on the school” in which “dozens of civilians were killed,” adding, “We once again demand the full implementation of the provisional measures imposed by the International Court of Justice and the protection of the civilian population.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow is “shocked.” “We regretfully observe that such strikes on the Gaza Strip, with civilian casualties, are becoming systematic… We believe there is no and can be no justification for these attacks.”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the “new crime against humanity.”
“Israel has committed another crime against humanity by slaughtering more than 100 civilians who had taken refuge in a school,” the Turkish diplomacy said, denouncing “once again” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intent “to sabotage the ceasefire negotiations.”
The UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese of Italy, accused Israel of committing “genocide” against the Palestinians.
“In the largest and most shameful concentration camp of the 21st century,” the Gaza Strip, “Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, neighborhood by neighborhood, hospital by hospital, school by school, ‘safe zone’ by ‘safe zone.’ With American and European weapons. And amidst the indifference of the ‘civilized nations,'” Ms. Albanese denounced via X (formerly Twitter).
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed his “speechlessness” on X. “How many more women and children will lose their lives before a ceasefire is achieved? The horror endured by civilians in Gaza must end,” Dr. Tedros added.
The Lebanese Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas and Iran, stated that “the enemy government has confirmed in practice… that its talk of a ceasefire and setting new dates for negotiations are nothing but lies and tricks that do not deceive the Palestinian people, the resistance organizations, and the support fronts.”
The emirate of Kuwait spoke of “continuing blatant human rights violations.” The Foreign Ministry said it is “necessary for the international community and the Security Council to intervene to end these heinous crimes” against the “defenseless Palestinian people.”
The Sultanate of Oman also emphasized that “schools and civilian infrastructure are being targeted,” which constitutes a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law” and decisions by international organizations.
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, “strongly condemned” the attack, describing it as “war crimes” by the “Israeli occupation against Palestinian civilians.”
