UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned Israeli attack on one of the UN-run schools in Beit Hanoun, serving as a shelter to Palestinian refugees.
“I am appalled by the news of an attack on an UNRWA school in Northern Gaza where hundreds of people had taken refuge,” Ban Ki-moon said Thursday.
Speaking from Erbil, Ban stated that “many have been killed – including women and children, as well as UN staff. Circumstances are still unclear. I strongly condemn this act.”
UN Secretary General noted that “more than 100,000 Gazans – that’s five percent of the total population – have sought refuge in UNRWA facilities. I once again stress to all sides that they must abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to respect the sanctity of civilian life, the inviolability of UN premises and to honor their obligations to humanitarian workers.”
The deaths increased to 788 killed in total in Gaza and more than 5 000 wounded. The numbers do not include more than a dozen Palestins killed in southern Israel since the conflict began on 8 July.