Israel targets civilians including UN staff

Spokesmen of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Chris Gunness condemned the Israeli aggression against Palestinian civilians, especially following the bombing of a UN school yesterday in which 16 were killed and more than 100 wounded.

Gunness said that initial investigations did not identify the total number of casualties in the school, but he confirmed that Israeli munitions landed there.

He described how the Israeli army targets UN staff while they carry out their work in Gaza. “UNRWA is overwhelmed in Gaza we have reached breaking point, our staff are being killed, our shelters overflowing,” he tweeted.

About the number of shelters and the displaced Palestinians residing there, he said yesterday: “UNRWA in Gaza has opened one new shelter in the south. So, there are now 86 housing 219, 657. Average shelter population is 2,554.”

During an interview with Al-Jazeera Arabic, Gunness broke down into tears while recalling the horror of what happened in the UN school.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation targeted the sole electricity plant in the Gaza Strip and caused so much damage that officials said they need at least one year to repair it so it becomes operational.

As Israel has cut off electricity to Gaza and the sole electricity plant was attacked, it became difficult to afford many of the essential needs, most importantly, clean drinking water.

Since the start of the operation it has called “Protective Edge”, Israel has killed 1,674 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded over 7,500

Some 53 Israeli soldiers have also been killed in addition to two Israeli citizens and one Thai migrant worker.