On Thursday, an Israeli airstrike targeted the Rafidah school in central Gaza, which had been turned into a shelter for Palestinians. The strike resulted in the deaths of at least 28 people, including children, and left many others with severe injuries and burns. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that numerous individuals, including children, were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Footage from the scene depicted the harrowing aftermath of the attack, with children being carried into ambulances, their faces bloodied, and many of them crying out in pain. One young girl, covered in blood and suffering from severe burns, asked medical workers if she was going to die.
The Israeli military claimed that the airstrike targeted 'terrorists' operating within a command and control center at the school compound. However, this assertion could not be independently verified.
The impact of the strike was devastating, as it demolished the school's walls and left its rooms filled with debris. Rescue workers and survivors worked tirelessly to search for and retrieve bodies from the wreckage.
Displaced Palestinians who had sought refuge at the school expressed shock and despair over the attack. One survivor described the assault as coming 'by surprise,' emphasizing the ongoing suffering and sense of abandonment felt by the Palestinian people.
Survivors recounted the horrific scenes of searching for their loved ones among the rubble, with one woman questioning why the school, housing mostly women and displaced individuals, had been targeted. The sentiment of helplessness and fear was palpable among those affected, with one woman lamenting the relentless attacks on homes, tents, streets, and now schools.
The tragic events at the Rafidah school serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing conflict in the region and the toll it takes on innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. The international community continues to grapple with finding a lasting solution to the violence that plagues Gaza and the surrounding areas.
