By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - A UN spokesman said on Tuesday that more than 160 school buildings have so far been hit in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli attacks continue.
"Humanitarian colleagues working on education have analyzed satellite images to assess damage to schools across Gaza.
"Their assessment found that 162 school buildings have been directly hit, representing nearly 30% of the total 563 school buildings in Gaza," Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.
At least 26 of these buildings have been destroyed, he added.
"Some 175,000 students and more than 6,500 teachers have had their schools directly hit in hostilities. At least 55% of schools in Gaza will require either full reconstruction or major rehabilitation," Dujarric said.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, killing at least 28,473 victims and injuring 68,146. About 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the initial Hamas attack.
The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.