An Israeli airstrike on August 10th targeted a Gaza City school compound which was being used as a shelter and mosque for displaced Palestinians. The Gaza Civil Emergency Service reported around 100 dead; Israeli officials dispute this number. The attack drew international criticism from Turkey, France, Britain, the European Union, and others, including several Arab states. The United States also expressed concern over Israel’s killing of civilians. According to the United Nations, at least 17 schools have been targeted by Israel in the last month and at least 163 Palestinians have been killed as a result.
Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military chief spokesman, said that according to Israeli intelligence, “no women and children were present” in the compound at the time of the airstrike. Despite this, Reuters reported that a video depicting the aftermath at the site showed a child’s doll in the rubble. Palestinian civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal said during a televised press conference, “so far, there are more than 93 martyrs, including 11 children and six women. There are unidentified remains.” In response to the strike, U.S. Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris expressed that “yet again far too many civilians have been killed” while on a campaign trip in Phoenix. The White House said in a statement, “we are deeply concerned about reports of civilian casualties in Gaza following a strike by the Israel Defense Forces on a compound that included a school.”
Israel began its offensive in Gaza after Hamas’ October 7th attack on Israel, during which around 1,200 people were killed and over 250 were taken hostage. Since Hamas’ attack, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign. Despite concern over the accuracy of the death toll provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health throughout the war, an independent study conducted by British organization Airwars suggests that the numbers are largely credible.
Recent attacks conducted by Israel have been detrimental to peace talks and will likely prolong the conflict. Hamas has been less willing to participate in the talks due to strikes such as the August 10th attack, which will continue to increase the divide between Israel and Hamas. Disputes on the death toll of the attack will also be counterproductive to peace.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has drawn criticism both domestically and internationally and continues to risk a wider regional conflict by neglecting to prioritize peace talks and ending violence. Civilian protection is essential if Israel wishes to move towards peace and regain support from the international community. Israel will need to remain open to negotiation, and Netanyahu will need to clarify his post-war plans for Gaza.
Read more about the Israel-Palestine conflict on our Crisis Index page here.
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