Regular attacks put Gaza schools-turned-shelters on the “frontlines of war”

 At least 64 attacks against schools – almost two every day – were registered in the Gaza Strip last month, according to the latest data from UNICEF and partners.

An estimated 128 people were reportedly killed in the strikes, many of them children.

The attacks on schools in October – which largely serve as shelters for displaced children and families – bring the overall number to 226 such attacks since the start of the conflict last year. In total, over one million children have been displaced in the last 14 months.

“Schools should never be on the frontlines of war, and children should never be indiscriminately attacked while seeking shelter,” says UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell. “The horrors we are seeing in Gaza are setting a dark precedent for humanity, one where children are hit with bombs at record numbers while looking for safety inside classrooms. Trauma and loss have become their daily norm.”     

According to the latest estimates, nearly half of the attacks recorded in October – or 25 – happened in northern Gaza, where renewed intense bombardments, mass displacement, and lack of sufficient aid are pushing children to the brink. In addition to shelter, some of the schools also provide malnutrition treatment points for those in need.

Under International Humanitarian Law, schools are protected spaces. Yet, since the onset of hostilities in October 2023, more than 95 per cent of schools in Gaza have been partially or completely destroyed. At least 87 per cent will require significant reconstruction before they can function again.

Meanwhile, at least 658,000 school-aged children in Gaza have been disconnected from all formal learning activities, casting a shadow of uncertainty on their future; their lives overwhelmed by mental health distress, as well as increased risk of child labour and child marriage.

Attacks against schools, whether they are serving as places of education or shelter for the displaced, are a grave violation against children. UNICEF reiterates its call to all parties to end grave violations against children, and to end attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in line with international law. UNICEF also reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire and the protection of all children and civilian infrastructure in Gaza.

“Every day this violence continues, more lives are shattered, and more futures are lost,” said Russell. “Parties to the conflict must respect International Humanitarian Law and safeguard schools and civilian spaces. Children must be shielded from harm, and their right to education must be upheld, even amidst conflict.”

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IMAGE CAPTION:

©UNICEF/UNI676929/El Baba Aftermath of the airstrike on Rufaida school in Deir Al Balah, Gaza, on 10 October 2024. The school had been turned into an IDP shelter, and was also hosting a malnutrition treatment point, where parents and children were queuing when the airstrike hit, killing many. Two health staff of a UNICEF partner were also killed.