The United Nations Calls More Than 162 Schools In Gaza Attacked By Israel

The Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - United Nations (UN) spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Tuesday (13/2) said that so far more than 162 school buildings have been attacked in the Gaza Strip, the region where Israeli attacks continue.

Humanitarian colleagues working in education, said Dujarric, have analyzed satellite images to assess damage to schools across Gaza.

"According to their assessment, 162 school buildings were attacked directly... representing nearly 30 percent of the total 563 school buildings in Gaza," the UN secretary-general spokesman told reporters in New York, citing Antara, Wednesday.

"At least 26 school buildings were destroyed," he said.

"A total of 175 thousand students and more than 6,500 teachers found their schools being attacked directly during the war. At least 55 percent of schools in Gaza would require full reconstruction or major renovations," Dujarric said.

When asked if Israel deliberately blocked humanitarian aid in Gaza, Dujarric said the shipment of humanitarian goods was "very inadequate" due to circumstances far beyond UN control.

"It is very difficult to reach the amount we need to be able to get past the Kareem SALom (crossings)...," he said/

Dujarric added that there were also problems with the safety of trucks and personnel as they crossed into the enclave.

"It is very difficult to send shipments outside the northern Rafah because as far as I know, the mechanism for eliminating the conflict we have with Israeli authorities is to ensure the safety of our convoy is not running properly at all," he said.

The aid delivery is done little by little by way of opportunism, which is honestly not a way to carry out humanitarian operations.

Dujarric said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared his position "very clear".

The Secretary General, he said, called on all parties to use the influence they had to stop the massacre and ensure humanitarian aid could enter and all hostages released.

Dujarric was asked why Guterres did not call on countries to stop sending weapons to Israel.

"What is clear to us is that all the money spent on weapons around the world that triggers conflict in many parts of the world will be better spent on community development and well-being," he replied.

Israel has attacked the Gaza Strip, since the Hamas attack on October 7, killing at least 28,473 people and wounding 68,146 others. About 1,200 Israelis are believed to have died in the initial Hamas attack.

Israel's war on Gaza has left 85 percent of the region's population displaced amid food shortages, clean water, and medicines, while 60 percent of infrastructure in the region has been damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations.