The United Nations has raised alarms over the safety and security of children in Gaza amidst ongoing military strikes targeting civilian infrastructure, particularly educational facilities. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the persistent attacks on active classrooms and schools are severely disrupting educational efforts in Gaza. The situation has escalated to an extent where more than 80 Palestinian schools in the West Bank face demolition or related orders, highlighting the growing challenges in ensuring safe learning environments for children.
The continuous assault on educational settings is a pressing concern. OCHA reports that a sixth-grade student in Gaza City was injured during an incident in a tented classroom. In other distressing incidents, parts of a school compound in Beit Lahia and a school in the West Bank’s Masafer Yatta region were demolished by Israeli forces. Tents housing nearly a dozen families who were sheltering in a schoolyard were also destroyed, exacerbating the humanitarian situation.
UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq emphasized the violation of international law, which prohibits attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. He stated the imperative need to protect learning spaces for students and teachers, underscoring grave concerns over school rehabilitation efforts in Gaza. Although efforts have rehabilitated 30 schools, critical funding shortages remain a significant impediment.
The broader implications of these actions are staggering. In April, a joint assessment by the UN and European Union estimated that Gaza’s recovery from these damages would require approximately $71.4 billion over the next decade. This assessment pointed to severe deficits in living conditions, livelihoods, food security, gender equality, and social inclusion, setting back human development in Gaza by several decades, as reported by JURIST.
International humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949, strictly prohibits harming civilians and deliberately targeting civilian properties. The current situation in Gaza raises significant legal and ethical questions, notably regarding the establishment of neutralized zones for civilian shelter as required by Article 15 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Recent reports suggesting the installation of cement blocks by Israeli forces in areas where civilians previously found refuge have stirred additional concern, marking potential violations of past ceasefire terms.
The UN’s concerns about strikes on educational institutions are further amplified by the listing of such attacks among the UN’s six grave violations against children during armed conflict. As the situation develops, the international community faces mounting pressure to address the urgent humanitarian, legal, and developmental challenges posed by these ongoing attacks in Gaza.