At least 50 people, mostly women and children, were killed on Saturday when Israeli forces bombed a UN-run school in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health officials and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
The school, located in the Jabalia refugee camp, was sheltering about 20,000 people who had fled their homes due to the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza, which has entered its 12th day. The attack was one of several that targeted UN schools in Gaza on Saturday, causing widespread damage and casualties.
The UN humanitarian office said in a statement that if there is a “hell on Earth, it is northern Gaza”. The statement also warned of a looming humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave, where more than 50 percent of housing units have been damaged and basic services are severely disrupted.