Palestinian Presidency Says U.S. Is Responsible for Gaza School Attacks
An alleged deadly attack on a school in Gaza by Israel has renewed calls for the United States to stop its staunch support of Israel, including weapon transfers that, according to rights advocates, fuel atrocities in the Palestinian enclave. Over 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured on Saturday, according to the Gaza Civil Defense Agency, after Israel launched a strike on the al-Tabin School in Gaza City.
US & allies are telling us that a ceasefire is imminent,” James Zogby, co-founder and president of the Arab American Institute, posted on social media. “All Palestinians see is more death, dislocation, & despair. The genocide continues.It is past time to end the charade. Israel doesn’t want peace or a ceasefire. Why are we still sending Israel weapons?
In a report on the deadly Israeli attack at al-Tabin school, CNN journalist Allegra Goodwin wrote Saturday morning that a “US-made GBU-39 small diameter bomb” was used. Al Jazeera could not immediately verify that report. The attack comes as US President Joe Biden has faced months of public pressure to turn off the spigot of weapons to Israel amid its war on Gaza, which has killed more than 39,700 Palestinians since early October.
Israel gets a minimum of $3.8bn in military assistance annually from the US, while President Biden signed off on $14 billion extra for the US ally earlier this year. Rights groups have also documented Israel’s use of US-made weapons “in serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and in a manner that is inconsistent with US law and policy” during the war.
But a US Department of State spokesperson announced on Friday that Washington would send an additional $3.5bn to Israel to spend on US-made weapons and military equipment. The strike came to this Gaza City school, which had turned into a refuge for thousands of displaced people, amidst a renewed push by the US, Qatar, and Egypt to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire agreement.
But continued Israeli attacks across Gaza risked derailing those efforts, experts said, with some accusing Netanyahu of trying to sabotage any possible deal to end the war intentionally. It was a horrific scene at this school in Gaza City. So said paramedics and others present. “Bodies ripped to pieces.
Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, said Palestinians sheltering inside the school compound were praying when Israeli forces targeted them with at least three air attacks.”The civil defense team said that they were able to find 100 dead bodies, but they’re saying that there are more bodies still trapped. Most of the bodies are so disfigured, they’re unable to recognize who these Palestinians are,” Khoudary said.
People who survived this attack are saying that this is one of the worst days they witnessed since the war started in the Gaza Strip.Israel has claimed, with no evidence to back its claim, that fighters from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were operating from the school. Hamas denied that charge.
Far too many civilians continue to be killed and wounded,” said US National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett in a statement on Saturday, as he called for a ceasefire and a hostage deal. Parroting Israel’s baseless claims, he added: “We know Hamas has been using schools as locations to gather and operate out of, but we have also said repeatedly and consistently that Israel must take measures to minimize civilian harm.
