As of 26 May 2025, the Gaza Strip remains the epicentre of a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian catastrophe, exacerbated by sustained Israeli airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, including educational institutions and UN-designated shelters.
1. Targeting of Educational Institutions and Civilian Shelters
Multiple Israeli air assaults have resulted in severe civilian casualties, including a disproportionate number of children:
- Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School, Al-Daraj (Gaza City): An early morning airstrike on 26 May resulted in 13 fatalities and 21 injuries. The facility was functioning as a shelter for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
- A subsequent assault on a separate school in the vicinity claimed 20 additional lives, including multiple women and children, with reports of victims being severely burned.
- UNRWA-Operated School, Al-Bureij: On 25 May, a double-strike on a UN school—housing approximately 2,000 displaced civilians—led to 30 deaths, many of whom were women and minors. Survivors described catastrophic conditions, including entrapment and fire-induced suffocation.
2. Civilian Fatalities Across Gaza
Additional airstrikes across multiple governorates have further compounded civilian suffering:
- In Deir al-Balah, a strike on a tent encampment resulted in the deaths of a mother and her two children.
- In Jabalia, a similar incident killed five civilians, including a pregnant woman and a child.
- In Khan Younis, an airstrike on a physician’s residence killed nine of his children, sparing only one survivor. The youngest victim was seven months old.
3. Allegations of Incendiary Rhetoric and Dehumanization
Statements attributed to Israeli political figures have further intensified international concern:
- On Israeli Channel 14, Moshe Feiglin, a former Knesset member, declared: “Every child, every baby in Gaza is an enemy... We need to conquer Gaza and colonize it and not leave a single Gazan child there.”
- An unnamed Israeli activist was quoted saying: “You need to destroy their offspring.”
- These declarations, if verified, may be interpreted under international law as incitement to genocide and violations of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit targeting civilian populations.
4. Humanitarian Catastrophe and Starvation as a Tactic
- According to B’Tselem, a leading Israeli human rights NGO, the Israeli government has been accused of “using starvation as a method of warfare”. The blockade and military control of 77% of Gaza’s territory has precipitated an unprecedented crisis in access to food, potable water, fuel, and medical supplies.
- The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that over 95% of Gaza’s schools are either damaged or completely destroyed, thereby eradicating formal education for more than a million children.
5. Rising International Repercussions and Calls for Accountability
- Spain has publicly condemned Israel’s operations as "inhumane", advocating for immediate arms embargoes and sanctions.
- Since March 2025 alone, over 3,785 civilians have been killed, raising the cumulative death toll since October 2023 to approximately 53,000, amid allegations of collective punishment and indiscriminate warfare.