US 'deeply concerned' by deadly Israeli strike on Gaza school refuge By Reuters
Written by Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said it was “deeply concerned” by an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City school campus on Saturday that defense officials said killed around 100 people, adding to criticism of the attack by several Arab states in Turkey. , Britain and the European Union's foreign policy chief.
The school center in Gaza City was occupied by displaced Palestinian families. The Gaza Civil Emergency Service, which has a reliable record of the number of people injured, said that around 100 people died in the strike on Saturday. Israel said about 20 soldiers were working at the factory.
Video from the area showed body parts scattered among the rubble and many bodies being taken away covered in blankets.
“We are deeply concerned by reports of casualties in Gaza following an Israeli security force strike on a facility that includes a school,” the White House said in a statement, adding that Washington had contacted Israel for more information.
Washington has faced increasing domestic and international criticism, including from human rights groups, for its military support for Israel. Saturday's airstrikes came a day after a State Department spokesman said the US would give Israel $3.5 billion to use weapons and equipment for the US military after Congress appropriated the funds in April.
“We know that Hamas has been using schools as places to gather and operate, but we have repeatedly said that Israel must take steps to minimize casualties,” the White House added.
The White House statement also said that “far too many civilians continue to be killed and injured” in the Gaza conflict and reiterated calls for a ceasefire.
The US comments follow criticism of the attack from Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. EU chief Josep Borrell said he was shocked by the images from the school, while British foreign minister David Lammy said he was “shocked” by the strike.
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter in Gaza's schools, most of which have been closed since the war began ten months ago.
The strike marked the latest Israeli attack on Gaza, which the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled area says has killed around 40,000 Palestinians while expelling nearly all of the estimated 2.3 million people, causing starvation and leading to accusations of genocide at the World Court which Israel denies.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
President Joe Biden proposed a three-phase ceasefire in his address on May 31. Washington and regional negotiators have since tried to broker a cease-fire agreement in Gaza but have faced repeated obstacles.
There was a distinct risk of a wider war in the Middle East after the recent killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut prompted threats of retaliation from Israel.
