Israel Targets UN School in Gaza; Army Claims It Was a Hamas Command Center

The Israeli army announced that on Saturday, July 6, it targeted a United Nations-managed school in the center of the Gaza Strip, which was allegedly used by Hamas forces as a command center. The Israeli army emphasized that it had taken multiple measures to minimize civilian casualties before carrying out the attack, adding that Hamas Islamist forces used buildings within the school premises as shelters and infrastructure for their terrorist operations against Israeli forces in Gaza. The Israeli army noted that the terrorist group Hamas regularly violates international laws and systematically uses buildings and civilian populations as human shields for terrorist activities against the people of Israel. Health officials from Hamas reported that in the Israeli attack on this school, which operated under the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), 16 people were killed and about 50 were injured. Since the onset of the war with Hamas in Gaza, Israel has accused UNRWA personnel of complicity in the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. Israel Katz, the Israeli Foreign Minister, stated on February 1, 2024, that UNRWA is part of Hamas's killing machine and cannot be included in any post-war plans for Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also mentioned a day earlier in a meeting with several UN ambassadors that some UNRWA staff collaborated with Hamas terrorists, saying: 'It is time for the international community and the United Nations to end UNRWA's mission.' UNRWA stands for the 'United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,' and its mission is to establish and manage institutions such as schools and social and health service centers for Palestinians. Established in 1949 by the United Nations, this organization currently has 58 offices in Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, and had at least $1.7 billion in revenue in 2022. The Israeli government announced last winter that it had evidence showing that 12 UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel. Tensions have increased along the Lebanon-Israel border following the killing of a Hezbollah commander. Reuters reported that Hamas has accepted a U.S. proposal to resume negotiations for the release of hostages, raising hopes for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. However, there is opposition to ceasefire negotiations; the Israeli Minister of Internal Security stated he would leave the coalition government. A meeting of Israeli leaders with the negotiating team regarding ceasefire negotiations and the release of hostages is underway.