• An Israeli airstrike on a UN school in Gaza killed 24 civilians, including women and children, under the pretext of targeting militants.
• Despite international condemnation, Israel continues targeting civilians and UN facilities with impunity, citing unfounded claims of self-defense.
On December 15, 2024, an Israeli airstrike struck the Ahmed Abdel Aziz School in Khan Younis, Gaza, killing 24 Palestinians, including women and children. The school, operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), was sheltering displaced civilians who had nowhere else to turn after weeks of relentless bombings. This was not an isolated incident but part of a long and bloody history of Israel’s systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure in Gaza, justified under the hollow pretext of “self-defense.”
The Israeli military stated that the strike aimed at neutralizing Hamas militants allegedly operating within the facility. However, local witnesses and Palestinian officials contested this claim, asserting that the school solely housed civilians seeking refuge from ongoing hostilities.
This incident is part of a series of attacks on UN-run schools in Gaza. In September 2024, an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Jawni School in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed at least 18 people, including six UNRWA staff members. The UN condemned these attacks, emphasizing the inviolability of its premises and the necessity to protect civilians during conflicts.
Israel’s actions in Gaza, particularly the bombing of schools and hospitals, constitute clear violations of international law. Yet, despite widespread condemnation from the United Nations and human rights organizations, there is little to suggest that Israel will face any meaningful consequences. The UN, for its part, has once again called for an independent investigation, a refrain that has become tragically familiar. These investigations rarely lead to accountability, allowing Israel to act with near-total impunity.
Another war crime, another empty condemnation—this is the grim reality Palestinians face as their suffering is met with little more than empty rhetoric and symbolic outrage from the international community. The cycle repeats itself, with Israel’s self-defense claims continuing to overshadow the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Israel frequently invokes self-defense to justify its actions, a narrative readily adopted by its Western allies, particularly the United States. However, this framing falls apart under scrutiny. Self-defense implies a response to an imminent or ongoing attack, but Israel’s actions in Gaza often involve preemptive strikes against civilian targets. These are not defensive measuresbut offensive operations designed to terrorize and subjugate a population already living under a brutal blockade.
The notion of self-defense also collapses in light of the power dynamics at play. Israel, one of the most advanced military powers in the world, is not defending itself against an existential threat but rather enforcing its domination over a besieged population with no army, navy, or air force. When Hamas or other groups retaliate, it is framed as unprovoked aggression, conveniently ignoring the cycle of violence that Israel itself initiates through airstrikes, land grabs, and systemic oppression.
The bombing of the Ahmed Abdel Aziz School is part of a broader pattern of impunity that has defined Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the occupied territories for decades. This impunity is propped up by the unwavering political and military support from the United States and other Western powers, which shield Israel from accountability in international forums. The UN Security Council, where the U.S. holds veto power, has repeatedly failed to take action against Israel, even in the face of egregious violations of international law.
This lack of accountability has emboldened Israel to escalate its attacks on civilian infrastructure. Schools, hospitals, residential buildings, and refugee camps are routinely targeted, often under the guise of targeting “militants.” The result is a devastating toll on Gaza’s civilian population, where women and children make up a significant proportion of the casualties.
The international community’s failure to act sends a clear message: Palestinian lives are expendable. While the world condemns attacks on civilians in other conflicts, it turns a blind eye to Israel’s actions, perpetuating a double standard that dehumanizes Palestinians and normalizes their suffering.
