Human Rights Watch confirmed on Thursday that the Israeli occupation army has bombed over 500 schools sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The organization emphasized that U.S.-supplied munitions have been used in these attacks.
اضافة اعلان
In its report, the organization described Israel’s targeting of schools sheltering displaced persons as unlawful attacks, regardless of the justification provided.
The report noted that the Israeli military carried out double-tap strikes on schools—hitting the same location a second time to target survivors and first responders—and that some of the attacks were indiscriminate.
These strikes, it stated, have denied civilians safe access to shelters and will severely disrupt access to education for many years, as rebuilding and repairing the damaged schools will require significant resources and time.
Human Rights Watch stressed that indiscriminate and unlawful attacks using U.S.-made weapons on Gaza’s schools have killed hundreds and damaged or destroyed nearly all schools in the Strip.
Call for Arms Embargo
According to the report, two Israeli newspapers revealed that the Israeli military had established a special bombing unit tasked with systematically identifying schools, labeled as “centers of gravity,” for the purpose of targeting them. The Israeli military allegedly justified this by claiming that Hamas fighters were hiding among hundreds of civilians.
The report also highlighted that double-tap strikes—a tactic involving a second strike aimed at rescuers—have become increasingly common in recent months during attacks on schools.
The organization called on the United States—which supplies munitions to Israel—to impose an arms embargo on the Israeli government and take urgent steps to enforce the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
“Governments should suspend arms transfers to Israel, given the clear risk that these weapons will be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law,” the report stated. “By continuing to provide Israel with weapons that have been repeatedly used in strikes on schools turned into shelters, and in apparent war crimes, the U.S. has become complicit in their unlawful use.”
Unsubstantiated Justifications
Regarding Israel’s claims that it targets schools because they harbor fighters, Human Rights Watch noted that most of these claims lack any concrete evidence. The organization emphasized that even the presence of combatants in a civilian facility does not justify an attack unless all feasible precautions are taken to avoid harming civilians, as required under the laws of war.
Among the documented incidents, the report cited two significant airstrikes on schools in Gaza, in which no evidence was found of military targets—making the attacks indiscriminate and illegal.
On July 27, 2024, Israeli forces bombed Khadija Girls' School in Deir al-Balah, killing at least 15 people. The school was sheltering around 4,000 displaced persons, and no military activity had been recorded in or around the facility. The attack reportedly involved U.S.-made GBU-39 bombs.
On September 21, 2024, an airstrike targeted Zaytoun School in Gaza City, killing 34 people, most of them women and children, and injuring dozens more—some suffering amputations. The organization reported that Israel provided no prior warning and offered no proof of any military presence at the site.
Human Rights Watch also stated that the Israeli army ignored its official inquiries requesting clarification on alleged military targets or evidence for the attacks.
— (Al Jazeera)
