Israeli shells hit UN shelter in Gaza
Shelling reported to have killed at least 15 people and injured 200 in a UN-run school in the Gazan city Beit Hanoun.
At least 15 people have been reported killed and 200 injured in the Israeli shelling of a UN school in northern Gaza that was being used as an emergency shelter.
UN official confirms attack on Gaza civilian shelter
24 Jul 2014 14
Al Jazeera's correspondent Nicole Johnston, reporting from Gaza, said the school in Beit Hanoun came under fire on Thursday. She said sources had told Al Jazeera that up to 30 people had been killed in the bombardment.
The Gaza health ministry later said that 15 were confirmed dead, and 200 injured.
The AFP reported a UN official as confirming "multiple dead and injured".
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Robert Turner, the director for UNRWA, the UN's humanitarian organisation in Gaza, said there was no warning from the Israelis before the shells landed. He confirmed there were casualties.
He said the UNRWA were in contact with Israeli forces about a window to evacuate the school before the attack happened
"This is a designated emergency shelter," he said. "The location was conveyed to the Israelis.
"This is the fourth strike on our installations in three days."
Israel has attacked UN schools before, saying that they were safe havens for the armed Palestinians.
UN has criticised the Palestinian groups various times for using UN schools to hide fighters and weapons.
Turner said he had no information that there was military activity around the school.
"This was an installation we were managing, that monitored [to ensure] that our neutrality was maintained.
"We always call on all parties to ensure that civilians are not harmed."
A witness who arrived at the Kamal Adwan hospital after the attack told Al Jazeera: "We were sitting in the school, because we were told it is safe.
"By God, there was not a single fighter, not a single shot was fired from the school. Why did they shoot at the school? Why? Can someone explain that to me? Why would they shell the school?"
Thursday's strike is the fourth time a UN facility has been hit in the 17 days of Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Death toll rising
At least 730 Palestinians have been killed in the 17-day Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip. More than 4,600 people have been injured.
Two Israeli civilians have been killed by fire from Gaza since the offensive began.
The total number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the military assault stands at 32. One more soldier has been listed as missing and is believed to be dead.
Navi Pillay, the UN human rights chief, said on Wednesday there was "a strong possibility" that Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza.
In a vote in Geneva later on the same day, the UN Human Rights Council decided to launch an independent inquiry in Israel's offensive on Gaza to investigate possible violations.
