Israel accused of deadly school attack, Hamas withdraws from negotiations
Jul 15, 2024
Gaza [Palestine], July 15: The attack on the Abu Araban site run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip was the fifth attack on a school converted into a shelter in the past eight days, according to AFP.
Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that the Abu Araban school was home to thousands of displaced people, adding that most of those killed were women and children.
Schools in Nuseirat were the target of two of the previous school attacks as Israel continued its offensive against Hamas forces since Hamas gunmen launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, according to AFP.
The Israeli military said its air force had "attacked a number of terrorists operating in the area of the UNRWA Abu Araban school in Nuseirat". The Israeli military claimed the school had "served as a hideout" and a base from which to "attack" Israeli soldiers.
There is currently no information about Hamas's response to the accusations and the above statement of the Israeli army.
Earlier on July 14, a senior Hamas official told AFP that Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh had told international mediators Qatar and Egypt to end talks on a ceasefire plan first proposed by US President Joe Biden in May.
The first phase of the deal would see a six-week ceasefire with the return of most of the hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
According to the Hamas official, Mr. Haniyeh said Hamas would "suspend the negotiations due to Israel's lack of seriousness, continued policy of delay and obstruction, and massacres targeting unarmed civilians."
Mr. Haniyeh said late on July 13 that he had called mediators and other countries to urge them to put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks.
Mr Haniyeh made the statement after Israel said its July 13 air strike on the Al-Mawasi camp in southern Gaza targeted a wanted Hamas commander. A Hamas official said the commander was fine.
Gaza Health Authority confirmed that the attack on Al-Mawasi camp on July 13 killed 92 people and injured 300. Al-Mawasi camp is a gathering place for tens of thousands of Palestinians displaced from other areas due to the Hamas-Israel conflict.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
