In a horrific and devastating attack, an Israeli bombing of a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City has killed over 100 people, including scores of civilian men, women, and children. The attack, which occurred during morning prayers, has left body parts scattered “in pieces” and healthcare workers overwhelmed with the dead and wounded.
The atrocity comes just hours after the Biden administration announced its approval of $3.5 billion in military funds for Israel, as well as shipments of new weaponry. The move has been widely condemned by Palestinian leaders and human rights organizations, who argue that the funding will only serve to further embolden Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people.
The attack on the al-Tabin school in Gaza City has been described as a “heinous bloody massacre” by the Palestinian Authority’s Fatah government in the Occupied West Bank. In a statement released on Saturday, the PA condemned the attack as a “peak of terrorism and criminality” by the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Committing these massacres confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt its efforts to exterminate our people through the policy of cumulative killing and mass massacres that make living consciences tremble,” said the PA.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as one of utter chaos and destruction. “I was in the school when the bombing happened,” said one survivor, who wished to remain anonymous. “I saw people running and screaming, trying to get out of the building. I saw children, women, and men, all lying on the ground, bleeding and injured. It was like a nightmare, but it was real.”
The attack has left healthcare workers in Gaza overwhelmed and struggling to cope with the sheer number of dead and wounded. “We are doing our best to treat the injured, but it’s a huge challenge,” said Dr. Ayman al-Sahbani, a surgeon at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. “We are running out of medical supplies, and the hospital is overcrowded. It’s a disaster.”
The international community has been quick to condemn the attack, with many calling for an immediate end to Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people. “This is a war crime, plain and simple,” said Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director, Heba Morayef. “The Israeli government must be held accountable for its actions, and the international community must take immediate action to protect the Palestinian people.”
The attack on the al-Tabin school is just the latest in a long line of Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people. Since the beginning of the year, Israel has killed over 200 Palestinians in Gaza, including scores of civilians and children. The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli siege since 2007, with the population facing severe restrictions on movement, access to basic necessities like food and water, and a crippling economic blockade.
As the people of Gaza mourn the loss of their loved ones and struggle to come to terms with the trauma they have endured, the international community must take action to hold Israel accountable for its crimes. The Biden administration’s decision to provide Israel with $3.5 billion in military funds is a slap in the face to the Palestinian people, and a clear indication that the US is more interested in supporting Israel’s aggression than in promoting peace and justice in the region.
The Palestinian people will not be silenced, and they will not be deterred. They will continue to resist Israel’s occupation, and they will continue to demand their rights and freedoms. The international community must stand with them, and must take immediate action to end Israel’s aggression and promote a just and lasting peace in the region.
