Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Strike on Gaza school 'kills 40'
Tuesday, January 6, 2009 : At least 40 people have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a United Nations-run school in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources have said.
A number of children were among those who died when the al-Fakhura school in the Jabaliya refugee camp took a direct hit, doctors at nearby hospitals said.
People inside had been taking refuge from the Israeli ground offensive.
Earlier, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned of a "full-blown humanitarian crisis" in Gaza.
Speaking on the 11th day of the Israeli assault, a senior ICRC official, Pierre Kraehenbuhl, said life in Gaza had become intolerable.
Palestinian medical sources say up to 600 people have been killed since the attacks began, and Mr Kraehenbuhl said much more needed to be done to protect civilians.
At least 70 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, while four Israeli soldiers were killed by fire from their own tanks.
'Horrific'
Witnesses said at least one Israeli missile had struck the al-Fakhura school on Tuesday afternoon, causing a large explosion and spraying shrapnel on people both inside and outside the building.
Hundreds of people had sought refuge inside the UN-run school in effort to escape the fighting between Israeli soldiers and militants on the outskirts of the refugee camp, to the east of Gaza City.
Read More
For more information:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$230.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network
More
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/world/middleeast/07mideast.html?_r=1&hp
There are conflicting reports about the details of the strike, which comes after a U.N.-operated school in Gaza City was directly hit by an Israeli air strike on Monday night, according to United Nations Relief and Works Agency director John Ging.
Ging told CNN that he understood several tank shells landed outside the U.N.-operated school in Jabalya on Tuesday, killing 10 people outside the school and injuring three people inside.
The school was being used as a shelter for civilians fleeing the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Palestinian territory.
More
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/06/israel.gaza/index.html
An Israeli military spokeswoman said she was looking into information on the incident at al-Fakhora school in Jabalya refugee camp.
People cut down by shrapnel lay in pools of blood on the street. Witnesses said two Israeli tanks shells exploded outside the school, killing at least 40 civilians - Palestinians who had taken refuge there and residents of nearby buildings.
In a separate attack earlier in the day, three Palestinians were killed in an airstrike on another school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
The deaths raised to 75 the number of Palestinian civilians killed on Tuesday alone, according to medical officials.
They said four militants also were killed in fighting during the day and put the total Palestinian death toll since Israel began the offensive on 19 December at 629.
More