Hospitals, schools and UNRWA HQ bombed: Reporting dwindles but attacks intensify in Israel’s genocide on Gaza
London, 8th July 2024- A weekend of sustained heavy Israeli bombardment of schools, hospitals and the UNRWA headquarters has been described by some Palestinians as the most devastating attacks of 2024. Bombing has intensified in Gaza City itself, where over 100,000 Palestinians have recently returned, in scenes described by Palestinians in Gaza as ‘like judgement day’.
As Israel’s bombardment of Gaza enters its tenth month, non-military targets including hospitals, school and aid facilities continue to be systemically attacked. These atrocities are failing to garner news coverage, let alone diplomatic condemnation in the West, despite the intensity of atrocities committed. The intensity of bombing directly contradicts Netanyahu’s claims in recent weeks that the ‘intense phase’ of operation is winding down.
Al Ahli Hospital, run by the Anglican Episcopal Church in Jerusalem, was reportedly hit by two missiles last night, on the 7th July 2024, leading to an order for the complete evacuation of the hospital. The attack on Al Ahli was reported by Reverend Richard Sewell, a member of the Anglican Episcopal Church in Jerusalem. This attack follows Israel’s heavy bombardment of Palestinian healthcare infrastructure, including numerous attacks on Al Ahli Hospital itself.
The population of Gaza has been repeatedly displaced, ordered to evacuate numerous times over. Amidst exhaustion, starvation, and complete collapse of medical assistance, the latest displacement order, for many sick, injured elderly, and hungry Palestinians, is as good as a death sentence.
Meanwhile, the bombing of yet another UN school prompted UNRWA Chief Philippe Lazzarini to say “Another day. Another month. Another school hit.” He cited how more than half of UNRWA’s 190 facilities have been hit, some multiple times, and some directly. In this instance, al-Jaouni school in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp was killed, with more than 75 Palestinian people injured and 16 were killed, all of whom were sheltering displaced people.
In Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza City, Israeli troops in the 99th Division also attacked the UNRWA Headquarters, on unsubstantiated claims that it was being used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. This mirrors previous unsubstantiated claims by Israel to discredit UNRWA, despite its smears being widely discredited by independent UN-commissioned reports.
This weekend also saw the release of a study in The Lancet that released a ‘conservative’ estimate that approximately 186,000 Palestinian people have been killed, which would amount to 7.9% of the total Gaza population. The Lancet study estimated that official figures did not include thousands of dead who were buried under rubble and indirect deaths due to destruction of health facilities, food distribution systems and other public infrastructure.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
- Reports of the Ah Ahli hospital attack can be found here.
- Lancet study: Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential.
- Aarn Tilton. (26th June 2024) Netanyahu: Intense phase of Gaza war winding down. DW.
- For more information, or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected].