Over 5,500 schoolchildren killed in Gaza

The Hamas authority revealed on Sunday that the ongoing conflict, which commenced on October 7, has claimed the lives of over thirteen thousand individuals. The casualties are a grim result of the fierce clashes between Israeli forces and Hamas militants within Palestinian territory.

According to Israeli reports, around 1,200 people, primarily civilians, fell victim to Hamas gunmen who breached the heavily fortified Gaza border. Disturbingly, approximately 240 individuals were captured as hostages during this surge.

Alarming figures provided by the Hamas government indicate that more than 5,500 schoolchildren and 3,500 women are among the deceased, with an additional 30,000 people wounded. The intensity of the fighting has made it challenging to retrieve bodies, rendering the health ministry unable to provide precise tolls.

However, a shocking incident unfolded as a UN-managed school and shelter in northern Gaza faced a catastrophic explosion.

The White House responded by initiating an investigation into this horrifying event, expressing concern over the impact on innocent civilians seeking refuge at a UN site.

Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer conveyed that Washington is actively collecting intelligence on the strikes against the UN-run school, emphasising that any harm to civilians in such shelters is deemed “totally unacceptable.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced deep shock at the targeting of two UN schools within 24 hours in Gaza.

These schools, intended as safe havens for civilians, witnessed dozens of casualties, including women and children. Guterres reiterated the inviolability of UN premises and the alarming situation with hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians seeking shelter amidst intensified fighting.

As global leaders, politicians, and human rights activists expressed mounting concerns over the civilian toll in Israel’s offensive against the Palestinian enclave, the situation escalated with a UNRWA school in northern Gaza being hit for the second time in a single day, as reported by the agency.