The ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank has resulted in the death of 1,417 people in the Gaza Strip. Another 31 have been killed and over 600 injured in the occupied West Bank. The victims in Gaza include 447 children, 248 women, and 10 healthcare workers.
The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has also destroyed seven mosques, four schools and hospitals since the latest onslaught began on Saturday.
The four schools belonged to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). This is along with entire neighbourhoods and residential buildings levelled to the ground.
Since the Israeli airstrikes and bombardments of Gaza, around 300,000 Gazans have been displaced, and a vast majority of them are now in 64 UNRWA schools and shelters, but some of these schools have been hit directly.
On Tuesday, the Education Above All Foundation (EAA)’s Al Fakhoora House in Gaza was destroyed by Israel. EAA reiterated that collective punishment, reprisals, and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure severely violate international humanitarian law and if deliberate constitute war crimes.
The EAA Foundation, with its regional and global partners, is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing quality education and more than 15 million opportunities to educate children and youth in more than 60 countries worldwide.
However, due to the latest Israeli aggression, these schools in Gaza, which served as shelters for displaced families, have suffered irreparable destruction. These were the only places where they could find food, hygiene kits and cleaning supplies. UNRWA yesterday confirmed that 12 of its staff have been killed since October 7 in Gaza and have called for staff and civilians to be protected at all times.
Israeli occupation forces continue to tighten their military attacks, imposing a full siege on Gaza depriving the people of water, electricity, and medical supplies. They have closed checkpoints and entrances to cities, towns, and villages and obstructed the movement of Palestinian citizens over all the occupied territories.
The occupation forces are targeting mosques and schools, all aiming to kill as many Palestinians as possible because Israel understands the safe havens these places provide for civilians. Qatar leads a global campaign to protect education during conflicts, and this goal is among the most critical of the global SDG 2030. Education is the primary path towards a stable and more just world; and strengthening it is the basis for development and stability.
