Report: 3 killed in strike on UN school
Palestinians report IDF shells hit UNRWA facility in northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya, hurting civilians seeking shelter in building; woman and her two children killed, 13 injured. UN official: There should be an investigation into possible war crimes. IDF soldier moderately wounded in ground activity overnight
Palestinian sources reported that a woman and her two children were killed and at least 13 people were injured in an Israel Defense Forces shelling in the northern Gaza Strip.
According to the report, several shells landed in a school belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Beit Lahiya.
The Palestinians claimed that several shells hit the school in the morning hours. Terrified residents who had fled the al-Atatra and al-Salatin areas found shelter in the building.
A United Nations official condemned the Israeli shelling attack. Spokesman Chris Gunness said the school was crowded with 1,600 people who had sought shelter from Israel's three-week offensive in Gaza.
Gunness said Israel had the coordinates of the school and knew it was being used as a shelter. He said there should be an investigation into possible war crimes, and that anyone who is guilty should be brought to justice.
This is the third time the IDF strikes an UNRWA facility since the start of Operation Cast Lead. Dozens of people were killed in the first incident and seven died in the second.
In a separate incident, an Israel Defense Forces soldier was moderately injured Friday night during a ground forces' activity in the Gaza Strip. He was evacuated to a hospital in Israel for medical treatment.
Attack on UN school (Photo: AFP)
The IDF said it would hold its fire between 12 and 3 pm for a "humanitarian pause" in the Gaza Strip in order to allow residents to equip themselves with food and move from place to place. The Kerem Shalom crossing will be opened Saturday for the transfer of 66 trucks carrying food, medical equipment and fuel to the Gaza power station.
Eight rockets were fired Friday evening from the Gaza Strip into Israel. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
The latest barrage included three Qassam rockets which landed in open areas in the Sdot Negev Regional Council. Additional rockets landed in the evening hours in the Sha'ar Hanegev and Eshkol regional council. One landed inside a kibbutz, without causing injuries or damage.
At least 22 rockets were fired at Israel on Friday. One person was moderately injured and another was lightly wounded when a rocket hit a house in Ashdod. Three people were lightly hurt in the town of Kiryat Gat.
The IDF continues to operate in the Gaza Strip in full force, even after the understandings reached between Israel and Egypt and ahead of the cabinet meeting expected to accept the ceasefire draft.
The commanders and soldiers have not been ordered to slow down their activity, and the pressure on Hamas has even increased in the past few days.
Alongside the operational successes, innocent civilians are still getting hurt. A shell fired by a tank in the Jabalya area killed three of Dr. Ezzeldeen Abu al-Aish's children and seriously injured two of his daughters, who were evacuated to the Barzilai and Sheba medical centers in Israel. The doctor's brother and two children were also killed in the strike.
The army is looking into the circumstances of the incident. An initial inquiry revealed that the tank struck an area from which gunmen were firing at IDF forces, but the investigation continues.
Ali Waked and The Associated Press contributed to this report
