On 4 August 2024, the Israel Defense Forces bombed Hamama School in the Gaza neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan. The school had been sheltering people displaced by the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, including women and children. Per Gaza's Civil Defense, 17 people were killed and "many others" were wounded, while the school itself was "completely destroyed". The attack was one of a number of attacks on schools during the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The Israeli army stated that the school was being used by Hamas. Hamas criticized this claim as a false pretext "for targeting defenseless civilians". The Palestinian Resistance Movement called the attack a continuation of Israel's "brutal war of extermination" in Gaza.[2]
| Hamama School bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Israel–Hamas war | |
  Sheikh Radwan | |
| Location | Sheikh Radwan, Gaza City |
| Date | 4 August 2024 |
| Target | Hamama school |
Attack type | Aerial bombing |
| Deaths | 17+ Palestinians[1] |
| Injured | 60+ Palestinians |
| Perpetrator |  Israel Defense Forces |
Background
On 6 July, UNRWA-ran al-Jawni school sheltering 2,000 refugees at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza was targeted by an IDF raid which killed sixteen Palestinians.[3] On 7 July, the IDF targeted the Latin Patriarchate-owned Holy Family school located in Gaza City housing hundreds of refugees, killing four. On 8 July, IDF force struck a different Nuseirat UNRWA-run school in, causing several injuries requiring treatment in a local hospital.[4] Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, stated two-thirds of all UNRWA schools in Gaza had been hit since October 2023.[5]
A United Nations Security Council Resolution adopted on 25 March 2024 had demanded an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War. The attack on the Hamama School coincided with truce talks in Egypt.[6]
Attack
On 4 August, Israeli aircraft struck the Hamama School with a missile. Then, while first responders were rescuing victims of the initial strike, three additional missiles were fired at the school, killing more people and trapping some under rubble. This tactic is commonly used by the Israeli military. No warning was given prior to the first strike.[7] Women and children were among the casualties.[8] According to the Gaza Civil Defense, the Al-Hamama School was targeted alongside the adjacent Al-Huda School, which share a playground.[9]
References
- ^ Yee, Vivian; Abuheweila, Iyad; Harouda, Ameera. "Israeli Strike on Gaza Shelter Kills at Least 30 and Injures Dozens". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ Palestine Chronicle Staff (4 August 2024). "Deadly Bombardment – 17 Killed as Israel Targets Gaza School". Palestine Chronicle. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Dozens killed in Gaza as Israel strikes fourth school in four days". France24. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Najjar, Farah. "Gaza City 'uninhabitable' as UN experts blast Israeli 'starvation campaign'". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Deadly Israeli strike on school-turned-shelter in southern Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ "Israeli attack on school in Gaza kills at least 15 people". Al Jazeera. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Israeli attack on school in Gaza kills at least 15 people". Al Jazeera. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ Palestine Chronicle Staff (4 August 2024). "Deadly Bombardment – 17 Killed as Israel Targets Gaza School". Palestine Chronicle. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ Khadder, Kareem. "Israeli airstrikes on two Gaza shelters kill 17, says Gaza Civil Defense". CNN. Retrieved 17 August 2024.