Following reports of an attack on an UNWRA school in Beit Hanoun, killing at least 8 people and wounding dozens more, 11 human rights organizations operating in the OPT – including HaMoked –
appealed to the Minister of Defense and the Chief of General Staff.
The organizations assert that the devastation caused by the attack on the school, demonstrates that there is no safe place for the civilian population in Gaza; further, that an effective warning by the military must clearly inform the population not only which area they must evacuate, but also where they could find safety and how to arrive there unharmed.
The organizations therefore call for the immediate establishment of an escape route out of the battle zone for civilians and the wounded, and for the declaration of safety zone, with guarantees that those who flee could return to their homes at the end of the fighting. Israel must also ensure that effective humanitarian aid is given to the displaced population at the safety zone, meeting its needs and affording medical treatment to the wounded.
