Al Jazeera's correspondent Nicole Johnston, reporting from Gaza, said the school in Beit Hanoun came under fire on Thursday. She said sources had told Al Jazeera that up to 30 people had been killed in the bombardment.
The Gaza health ministry later said that 15 were confirmed dead, and 200 injured.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Chris Gunness, the spokesman for UNRWA, the UN's humanitarian organisation in Gaza, said his organisation had been in contact with Israeli forces as fighting closed in on the shelter.
"We gave the Israelis the precise GPS coordinates of the Beit Hanoun shelter. We were trying to coordinate a window [for evacuation] and that was never granted."
- He said he could neither confirm nor deny that Hamas fighters were near the building, but said Israel and Hamas "must respect the inviolability of UN premises, and humanitarian law".
Robert Turner, the director for UNRWA told Al Jazeera there was no warning from the Israelis before the shells landed.
"This is a designated emergency shelter. The location was conveyed to the Israelis," he said.
"This was an installation we were managing, that was monitored [to ensure] that our neutrality was maintained."
"We always call on all parties to ensure that civilians are not harmed."
Israel has attacked UN schools before, saying that they were being used as safe havens for the armed Palestinians.
The UN has also previously criticised the Palestinian groups for using UN schools to hide fighters and weapons.
A witness who arrived at the Kamal Adwan
hospital after the bombardment told Al Jazeera: "We were sitting in the
school, because we were told it is safe.
"By God, there was not a single fighter, not a single shot was fired
from the school. Why did they shoot at the school? Why? Can someone
explain that to me? Why would they shell the school?"
Thursday's strike is the fourth time a UN facility has been hit in the 17 days of Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
At least 730 Palestinians have been killed and more than 4,500 injured in Israeli assault.
Two Israeli civilians have been killed by fire from Gaza since the offensive began.The total number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the military assault stands at 32. One more soldier has been listed as missing and is believed to be dead.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/israeli-shells-hits-un-shelter-gaza-201472413198190287.html
24/7/14
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Gaza UN school shelter hit, 'killing 15'...
ReplyDeleteAt least 15 people were killed and more than 200 injured when a UN-run school used as a shelter in Gaza came under fire, Gazan health officials say.
Palestinian families were in the school in Beit Hanoun, fleeing Israel's offensive against Hamas militants.
In the past 16 days of fighting, more than 750 Palestinians and 33 Israelis have been killed, officials say.
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal told the BBC he wants a ceasefire and end to Israel's blockade as soon as possible.
"We don't want to be controlled by a border crossing that makes Gaza the biggest prison in the world," Mr Meshaal, who lives in exile in Qatar, told BBC Hardtalk.
"People cannot go for medical treatment or to work. Why are the people of Gaza being punished by a slow death in the world biggest prison. This is a crime."..............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28468526
Un tir israélien a fait 15 morts dans une école de l'ONU, dans le nord de la bande de Gaza, ce jeudi. "A 14h50, un obus est tombé sur ou a proximité" de l'école utilisée actuellement comme refuge pour les civils déplacés, a confié un responsable des Nations unies à l'AFP....
ReplyDeleteLe porte-parole des services de secours palestiniens, Achraf al-Qoudra, a fait état d'un bilan de 15 morts et de plus de 200 blessés. Les blessés ont été conduits à l'hôpital Chifa de Gaza. Une mère et son bébé sont parmi les victimes.
Les corps ont été conduits à la morgue de l'hôpital de Jabaliya, près de Beit Hanoun, selon le photographe de l'AFP. Le porte-parole de l'Agence de l'ONU pour l'aide aux réfugiés palestiniens (UNRWA), Chris Gunness a confirmé sur son compte Twitter qu'il y avait "un certain nombre de tués et blessés" dans ce bâtiment.
http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_gaza-un-obus-israelien-tue-neuf-personnes-dans-une-ecole-de-l-onu?id=8321526