Israel Calls Attacks On UN Schools Postponed Twice To Avoid Civilian Victims, US Highlights Claims 14 Children Died

UNRWA Shelter in Gaza, Palestine. (Source: UNRWA)

JAKARTA - The United States contacted Israel regarding an attack on a school in central Gaza, Palestine that killed at least 40 people, including 14 children, according to local authorities, while Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the attack was based on reconnaissance results and had passed a delay to avoid casualties of women and children.

The school, managed by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, houses displaced people in the Nuseirat refugee camp at the time of the incident, Gaza's state media office said.

Israel only told the US "basically what they have said in public," a State Department spokesman said.

"At the same time, we have seen reports on the ground, we have seen videos from the field, we have seen claims 14 children were killed in the attack and of course when you see, if it is accurate that 14 children were killed, they are not terrorists," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a news conference., reported CNN June 7th.

Miller said the Israeli government would release more information about the attack, and that "we hope they are fully transparent in making that information public."

When asked if US weapons were used in the attack, Miller said it was a question for the Israeli government. According to CNN's analysis of the video from the scene and a review by an explosives expert, US-made ammunition was used in the attack.

Miller said the attack on the school meant nothing through what President Joe Biden's so-called "red line" for Israel, as the line referred to "large-scale operations in Rafah," which the US has yet to see.

"Nevertheless, we have seen attacks that endanger civilians long before the president said that, and we have made it clear to the Israeli government that we hope they do everything they can to minimize the loss of civilians," Miller said.

As previously reported, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Danielani said Israeli intelligence was confident that the Hamas fighters who took part in the October 7 attack operated from within three school classrooms of the United Nations Aid and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) at Nuseirat Camp, Gaza.

Laksda airinggi mengatakan, militer Israel telah mengidentifikasi sembilan orang yang diduga perjuangan Hamas dan Jihad Islam yang menjadi sasaran serangan itu.

He further said the IDF believed there were "about 30" Hamas fighters and Islamic Jihad who were hiding inside UN schools, however, he did not provide further evidence or information about how the IDF came to this conclusion.

"The terrorists inside the school are planning more attacks on Israelis, some of which will soon occur. We are stopping a time bomb that continues to beat", Sayhi said.

ungi mengatakan pasukan Israel, yang menggunakan pengawasan udara selama beberapa hari, telah menunda serangan terhadap sekolah tersebut dua kali karena mereka telah mengidentifikasi warga sipil di daerah tersebut.

"We carried out the attack after intelligence and surveillance we showed no women or children inside the Hamas complex inside the classroom," mitigated Hamas, accusing Hamas of violating international law.