Israeli strike on UN shelter in Gaza ‘flagrant violation’ of international law: Jordan

By Laith Junaidi

AMMAN, Jordan (AA) – Jordan on Thursday condemned an Israeli airstrike on a UN shelter in the central Gaza Strip as a “flagrant violation of international law.”

At least 40 people were killed when Israeli jets hit a school sheltering thousands of displaced civilians in the Nuseirat refugee camp Wednesday night, according to Gaza’s government media office.

"We condemn in the strongest terms the continuous and systematic targeting of shelters for Palestinian refugees in Gaza and UN facilities,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“These actions and crimes constitute a flagrant violation of the rules of international law and international humanitarian law, contradict all human and moral values and represent war crimes against the international community as a whole,” it added.

It urged the international community “to shoulder its responsibility and to deter Israel from committing further crimes against civilians and to stop its futile war on the Gaza Strip.”

The ministry also called for “obliging Israel to respect international law and international humanitarian law.”

The Israeli army admitted hitting the UNRWA school in the Nuseirat refugee camp, claiming Hamas fighters were hiding inside.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 36,650 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 83,300 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala