Israel systematically targeted Gaza schools and mosques: UN report

Shafaq News/ Israeli forces committed war crimes in Gaza, including killing civilians sheltering in schools, mosques, and churches, a UN commission reported on Tuesday.

In a report, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory accused Israel of systematically targeting Gaza’s educational and cultural sites, warning the destruction may indicate genocidal intent.

It documented repeated strikes on schools and places of worship, killing civilians—many children—and classified the attacks as unlawful and deliberate under international law.

The report described a collapsing humanitarian situation: starvation, trauma, and what it labeled “subhuman living conditions” for children.

Religious sites used as shelters were also hit, with hundreds reportedly killed. In the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel, the commission reported settler violence against schools and students, often met with official inaction, noting threats and arrests targeting academics and students who supported Gaza.

While urging the Security Council to act, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called on Israel to lift its blockade, warning of imminent famine. Israel rejected genocide claims.

The commission demanded Israel halt strikes on civilian infrastructure, stop settlement expansion, comply with court rulings, and allow aid access, while pressing Hamas to end military activity in civilian areas.

The full report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council on June 17.

Hamas launched its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel following years of blockade and military pressure, killing around 1,200 and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a broad military campaign that has killed over 54,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children.