Deadly Israeli strike on Gaza school sparked widespread condemnation

More than 100 people were killed Saturday morning, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense, in a new Israeli attack al-Tabeen school in Gaza City that was sheltering displaced people, as well as on a mosque where no worshippers survived. Yet, it seems as if the violence has become normalized with international response emerging initially at a slow pace. The UN was one of the few to react promptly, while Israeli officials claimed they were targeting "terrorists."

The strongest international condemnation came from Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, who accused Israel of "genocide."

"Gaza: In the largest and most shameful concentration camp of the 21st century, Israel is genociding the Palestinians one neighborhood at a time, one hospital at a time, one school at a time, one refugee camp at a time, one 'safe zone' at the time. With U.S. and European weapons. And amid the indifference of all 'civilized nations,'" Albanese wrote on X, referring to more than 10 months Gaza war.

European Union foreign policy chief also expressed his horror over the Israeli strike on a Gaza school. "Horrified by images from a sheltering school in Gaza hit by an Israeli strike, with reportedly dozens of Palestinian victims. At least 10 schools were targeted in the last weeks. There's no justification for these massacres," Borrell wrote on X.

Later, the United Kingdom stated that he was "appalled by the Israeli military strike on the al-Tabeen school" in Gaza and called for an "immediate cease-fire." "Hamas must stop endangering civilians. Israel must comply with international humanitarian law," U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy wrote on X. "We need an immediate cease-fire to protect civilians, free all hostages, and lift restrictions on aid," he added.

France also responded in the afternoon, strongly condemning the Israeli strike on a school in Gaza City. "For several weeks, educational buildings have been repeatedly targeted, with an intolerable number of civilian casualties," the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, emphasizing that "respect for international humanitarian law is mandatory for Israel."

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Succession of Israeli strikes targets south Lebanon: Gaza war, day 309

The Lebanese Foreign Affairs Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli strike on the Gaza school. "The Ministry strongly condemns that the Israeli occupation forces targeted this school, which was sheltering unarmed displaced Palestinians in eastern Gaza City, by firing three missiles directly at the place of worship," the official statement said.

The Ministry also criticized the “systematic and indiscriminate bombings by the Israeli occupation army and the killing of children and civilians,” calling them "a clear indication of the Israeli government's disregard for international and humanitarian law."

Echoing earlier statements from Egypt, the Lebanese Ministry added that the ongoing crimes against Palestinians and the deliberate killing of unarmed civilians, while international mediators work to broker a cease-fire in Gaza, demonstrate Israel's intent to prolong and escalate the conflict.

International inquiry into the Israeli strike on al-Tabeen school 

Egypt said on Saturday that the "intentional killing" of unarmed Palestinians by Israel shows a lack of political will to end the conflict in Gaza.

Similarly, the Jordanian Foreign Affairs Ministry criticized the timing of the strike on the school, stating it "reflects the Israeli government's efforts to obstruct and undermine" attempts to halt the fighting.

Turkey also condemned the attack on Saturday as a "new crime against humanity." According to a statement from its Foreign Affairs Ministry, "Israel has committed a new crime against humanity by massacring more than a hundred civilians who had sought refuge in a school." The statement also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s "repeated attempts to sabotage cease-fire negotiations."

Qatar, which is mediating between Israel and Hamas, has called for an "urgent international investigation" into the school strike. The Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry urged the deployment of independent U.N. investigators to probe "the ongoing targeting by Israeli occupation forces of schools and shelters for displaced persons."

Iran labeled the attack a "war crime" and condemned the Israeli army’s actions. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani stated, "This attack once again proves that Israel's apartheid regime disregards international law and moral and human principles."

Hezbollah, through former minister Mohammad Fneich, reaffirmed that "resistance in Lebanon will not cease its support for Gaza" as long as the "criminal war against the Palestinian people persists." Fneich dismissed the U.S.-led peace efforts, which several regional actors have accused Israel of undermining with such massacres. Additionally, he accused Washington of attempting to blame the 'resistance' for the failure of cease-fire talks while absolving Israel of responsibility.

Later in the day, Hezbollah issued a statement asserting that the strike "strengthens Palestinian resistance and supporting fronts in their choice of armed struggle to end this slaughter and prevent the enemy from achieving its declared and secret objectives." The statement added that "the enemy's government once again proves it continues its policy of genocide against the Palestinian people, and that all cease-fire proposals and deadlines for negotiations are nothing but lies and deception."

Prominent Shiite cleric Ali Fadlallah also condemned the massacre. "The enemy [Israel] seeks, through this policy of murder and destruction, to completely eradicate the Palestinian people and their just cause, and to systematically sabotage any efforts to end the genocide against the Gaza Strip," he said in a statement.

 Israeli attacks are 'inflaming the region'

On Sunday, Lebanon's Grand Mufti sheikh Abdellatif Deriane condemned the massacre at al-Tabeen School in Gaza, which was targeted by Israeli forces on Saturday. "Every day, the Zionist enemy commits acts of terrorism against the Palestinian people through genocide, destruction, and displacement, all under the watchful eye of the world," he said in a statement. He added, "The Zionist entity does not seek to end the war in Gaza or the aggression against Lebanon but aims to inflame the region with its unchecked criminality and disregard for international and humanitarian resolutions." Deriane also called on the international community and the U.N. Security Council to "take concrete actions to stop the Zionist aggression and the crimes committed against our resilient people in Gaza."

Druze sheikh Sami Abi al-Mona also condemned the "brutal massacre" carried out by Israeli forces at the Gaza school, which resulted in the deaths of more than 100 Palestinian civilians. He criticized the ongoing crimes against humanity and violations of international law. Abi al-Mona urged the international community to "counter the Israeli enemy" and work to "end the escalation, aggression, and killings occurring in Palestine and southern Lebanon."

This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.