IDF Strikes Hamas Terrorists in Gaza-based UNRWA School

Israel targeted Hamas terrorists at a UN school in Gaza's Nuseirat. This marks the second such attack in a week. The IDF accused Hamas of violating international law and using the school for terror activities against Israel.

Tel Aviv [Israel], July 17 (ANI/TPS): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday that they had targeted Hamas terrorists operating within a United Nations school in Gaza's Nuseirat area. This marks the second instance this week of terrorists being struck in a UNRWA facility in Nuseirat, according to the IDF.

The military stated that Hamas utilized the school as a strategic base to plan and execute attacks on Israeli soldiers. 'The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law, exploiting civilian structures and populations as human shields for its terror attacks against the State of Israel,' the IDF said in an official statement. Measures were taken to minimize civilian collateral damage, including the use of precision munitions and intelligence operations.

On Sunday, Israeli aircraft targeted and eliminated several Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists who had taken refuge in the UNRWA-run Abu Oraiban School, also in Nuseirat. These terrorists had used the school as a launchpad for assaults on Israeli forces. UN schools in Gaza are operated by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

UNRWA, responsible for assisting Palestinian refugees, has faced intense scrutiny and criticism from Israeli officials, who demand revocation of its authority and funding in Gaza amid allegations of UNRWA staff participating in Hamas's October 7 attacks. The Israeli government has sidestepped UNRWA in humanitarian aid distribution. Recently, the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee advanced legislation to label UNRWA a 'terror organization,' stripping it of its diplomatic immunity and other benefits.

Earlier this year, Israel's largest bank froze UNRWA's accounts over unexplained suspicious financial transactions. That same month, Israeli forces uncovered a Hamas complex beneath UNRWA's Gaza City headquarters, integrated with the agency's electricity system and housing multiple computer servers for the terror group. Over 100 survivors of Hamas's October 7 attacks have filed a $1 billion lawsuit against UNRWA, accusing it of 'aiding and abetting' the terror group.

Palestinian refugees are uniquely overseen by their own UN agency, whereas global refugees fall under the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Israeli authorities have advocated for dismantling UNRWA and transferring refugee responsibilities to the UNHCR. The October 7 attacks left at least 1,200 people dead and resulted in 252 Israeli and foreign hostages, with more than 30 of the 116 remaining hostages believed dead.