GAZA, (PIC)
The Hamas Movement has affirmed that the Israeli occupation army’s bombing of the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City today is a double crime against the Palestinian people and UN institutions.
“The criminal occupation army’s claim that the headquarters is used for military purposes is a blatant lie concealing the true intents of this fascist government towards UNRWA,” Hamas said in a statement on Monday.
Hamas accused the Israeli army of carrying out an artillery attack near the Red Cross headquarters in Rafah yesterday, claiming the lives of over 20 displaced civilians.
The Movement affirmed that the Israeli army’s persistence in targeting civilian objects reflects insistence on committing genocidal crimes, destroying all aspects of life in Gaza and flouting international calls for a halt to its military aggression.
It called on the international community and the UN to condemn such serious crimes and take action to hold Israeli leaders accountable for the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
In a related context, UNRWA said on Sunday that the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza Strip have prevented some 39,000 high school students from taking their final exams, describing the educational process in Gaza as “horrific and sad.”
As the war drags on for over eight months, more than 500,000 Palestinian students have also been forced to leave schools, according to UNRWA director of planning Sam Rose.
UNRWA runs 300 schools in the Gaza Strip, but two thirds were destroyed by the Israeli army. The ones that have survived Israeli attacks now serve as temporary shelters for displaced families — a situation that prevents the agency from initiating educational activities.
According to UNRWA last Friday, over 76 percent of Gaza schools need rebuilding or large-scale repairs to become functional again.
