(VOVWORLD) - Early on Saturday morning, more than 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens more were seriously injured in an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Ta ba'een school, a shelter of displaced people in Gaza. According to the UN Human Rights Office, 11 children and 6 women were among the dead. The international community has condemned the attack.
 The international community condemns an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza on August 10. (photo: Reuters) |
Three Israeli missiles hit the Al-Ta ba'een school in Gaza when the evacuees were praying, causing a large number of casualties. Israel said it attacked a Hamas Command and Control Center which is located in the Al-Taba'een school and next to a mosque in Daraj Tuffah, where the city dwellers are hiding.
The international community immediately condemned the attack.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry called on the international community to take a unified and effective response to protect the Palestinian people and stop attacks on defenseless civilians. Egypt stressed the need to continue diplomatic efforts to deliver aid to Gaza and achieve a ceasefire soon.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry also condemned the airstrike and urged decisive actions from Muslim and freedom-loving countries around the world to support Palestine and its resistance against the occupation.
The US, Israel's close ally in the Middle East, expressed "deep concern" over the civilian casualties in the school airstrike. White House National Security Council Spokesman Sean Savett reiterated the US’s consistent demand that Israel takes measures to minimize civilian casualties.
Many other countries such as Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Turkey, the UK, and France also condemned the attack and called on the international community to take measures to prevent similar incidents.
The UN estimates that since July 4, 274 people were killed in at least 21 attacks on schools which were used as shelters for displaced people in Gaza.
The Israeli military said the schools were used by Palestinian militant groups.