United Nations, Mar 28:
The heavy bombardment against Gaza by Israel has resulted in “direct hits” on 212 schools within the enclave, according to analysis partnered with the United Nations released on Wednesday.
Satellite images have shown that at least 53 schools have been “completely destroyed” since the conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, along with an almost 9-percent rise in attacks on school facilities since mid-February, as reported by the UN children’s fund (UNICEF), the Education Cluster, and Save the Children.
The “high trend of attacks on school facilities” has worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the report’s authors noted, amid “intense Israeli bombardment from air, land, and sea across much of the Gaza Strip.” Of the 563 school buildings in Gaza, 165 of the 212 that received a direct hit are in areas designated for evacuation by the Israeli military. Data indicates that 62 schools were directly targeted in southern Khan Younis governorate, 14 in the Middle Area governorate, 94 in Gaza governorate, and 42 in North Gaza governorate — which is the most severely affected area to date, with 86.2 percent of school buildings either directly hit or damaged.
More than one in two school premises run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) have also been hit since October last year, according to the report.
