Barran Press
Gaza City, Palestine - The early hours of Saturday, August 10, 2024, witnessed another horrific massacre perpetrated by the Israeli military. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) shelled the "Al-Tabi'in" school in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City, where thousands of displaced Palestinians were seeking refuge.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Information, the IDF's attack on the school resulted in over 100 fatalities and dozens of injuries. The ministry condemned the attack as a clear act of genocide and ethnic cleansing, emphasizing that the IDF directly targeted displaced civilians during their morning prayers.
The international community has responded with widespread condemnation of the attack. Several Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, and Iraq, have issued statements denouncing the Israeli military's actions.
Saudi Arabia, through its Foreign Ministry, condemned the attack in the strongest terms, calling for an end to the mass killings in Gaza. The kingdom also criticized the international community's inaction in holding Israel accountable for its violations.
Yemen's Foreign Ministry condemned the "barbaric" shelling of the school, which housed displaced civilians. They emphasized that a just and comprehensive peace, guaranteeing security and stability in the region, can only be achieved by granting the Palestinian people their legitimate rights, as enshrined in international law. The ministry called on the international community to take immediate steps to cease fire and end the ongoing crimes and violations against the Palestinian people.
Egypt, in a statement by its Foreign Ministry, condemned the attack in the strongest terms and called for a unified and effective international response to protect the Palestinian people in Gaza and end the targeting of civilians. Egypt highlighted that the continued perpetration of these large-scale crimes and the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians, particularly amid ongoing mediation efforts for a ceasefire, is a clear indication of Israel's lack of political will to end the war. Egypt reiterated its commitment to diplomatic efforts, including intensive communication with all relevant international actors, to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and secure a ceasefire, despite the challenges and obstacles.
Qatar, in a statement, described the attack as a "horrifying massacre" and a "brutal crime against unarmed civilians," constituting a blatant violation of fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. Doha renewed its call for an immediate international investigation, including the deployment of independent UN investigators, to determine the facts surrounding the IDF's ongoing targeting of schools and shelters for displaced persons. Qatar also urged the international community to provide full protection for displaced persons, prevent the IDF from implementing its plans to forcibly displace them from Gaza, and compel Israel to comply with international law.
The UAE, in a statement, denounced the Israeli targeting and affirmed its rejection of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. The UAE emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire to stop the bloodshed and called on the international community to exert maximum efforts to prevent further escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Jordan condemned the attack as a "flagrant violation of international law" and a continuation of the systematic targeting of civilians and shelters for displaced persons. The Jordanian statement highlighted that the attack comes at a time when mediators are seeking to resume negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal leading to a permanent ceasefire, suggesting that the Israeli government is seeking to obstruct and derail these efforts. Jordan emphasized the need for the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to assume its responsibilities and immediately halt the Israeli aggression against Gaza.
Iraq, in a statement, condemned the Israeli shelling as "barbaric" and a "flagrant violation of all international norms and conventions," highlighting the Israeli regime's disregard for international initiatives aimed at ending the aggression against Gaza. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry called for a firm and unified stance by the international community, particularly Islamic nations, to stop these ongoing Israeli crimes and provide immediate protection for the unarmed Palestinian people.
The attack on "Al-Tabi'in" school brings the total number of schools sheltering displaced persons targeted by the IDF in Gaza City alone to six within just one week, resulting in a large number of casualties, according to Anadolu Agency correspondent reports.
On Thursday, August 8, 2024, 15 Palestinians were killed and dozens, including children, were injured when Israeli warplanes targeted the "Al-Zahra" and "Abdel Fattah Hamoud" schools, which were sheltering displaced persons in the Al-Tufah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.
On August 4, 2024, the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza announced in a statement that 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens, 80% of whom were children, were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the "Al-Nasr" and "Hassan Salama" schools in the Al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City.
The day before, on August 3, 2024, 16 Palestinians were killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the "Hamama" school, sheltering displaced persons in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with full US support, has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, resulting in over 131,000 fatalities and injuries, the majority of whom are children and women, and over 10,000 missing persons.
Israel continues this war, ignoring the UN Security Council's resolution for an immediate ceasefire and disregarding the International Court of Justice's orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.