Islamic Relief is horrified at the massacre of dozens of civilians at one of the school shelters.
The attack at al-Tabeen school in Gaza City is the deadliest on a school shelter yet, with reports of 80-100 people killed and many more injured as Israeli missiles tore through classrooms and the prayer room during dawn Fajr prayers. Around 2,000 young children, women and men have been sheltering at the school after the Israeli military ordered them to leave their homes. The nearest hospital is overwhelmed with casualties, with many badly burnt or bleeding severely from shrapnel wounds, and it does not have the medical supplies to treat them all.
We are horrified but we are no longer shocked by such massacres, as Israel continues to bomb people’s shelters almost daily with complete impunity and disregard for international law. 85% of all schools in Gaza (477 out of 564) have now been damaged by bombing.
Ahmed Shehata, CEO of Islamic Relief USA, says: “We are shocked by the recent attack on the al-Tabeen school-turned-shelter, where families and children were seeking refuge in. The school is also one of the many where Islamic Relief and its partner agencies have been providing daily cooked meals to families. Schools and other shelters should never be a target. People in Gaza have become moving targets, constantly seeking refuge in new shelters, only to be denied security and aid once there. There is no excuse for what occurred that is justifiable for the taking of innocent lives. We are praying for all the lives lost and for those that are yet again forced to seek refuge elsewhere.”
An astounding 1 in every 17 people in Gaza has now been killed or wounded in just over 10 months, with every single person affected.
Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to move yet again over the past few days, with the Israeli military herding people into small areas that are now extremely overcrowded and rife with starvation and disease. Many families have now been displaced 9 or 10 times over the past 10 months and the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza has reduced to little more than a trickle.
The international community has completely failed the people of Gaza. World leaders must use all the pressure they can to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the constant forced displacement and attacks on fleeing civilians, and ensure accountability for such actions.
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Syed M. Hassan
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Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to provide relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of gender, race, or religion, and works to empower individuals in their communities and give them a voice in the world. Its programs benefit millions of people each year in more than 40 countries around the world, including in the United States.
Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.