The airstrikes resulted in the deaths of 18 civilians, most of them women and children, and injured several others, including six staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

During the Security Council meeting, Algeria condemned the attack, expressing deep concern over the repeated targeting of civilian infrastructure, particularly schools, by Israeli occupation forces. The al-Ajouni school has now been attacked five times, according to Algerian officials.

Algeria emphasized that international humanitarian law provides special protection to humanitarian infrastructure and workers, stressing that deliberately targeting these entities constitutes a war crime. The Algerian delegation noted that over 220 UNRWA staff members have lost their lives since the conflict began.

Calling for an end to Israel's impunity, Algeria urged the Security Council to take concrete action in response to the tragedy. It highlighted the necessity of protecting civilians and humanitarian workers under the Geneva Conventions.

Several Security Council members, including the United Kingdom, China, Russia, France, Guyana, South Korea, Switzerland, Sierra Leone, Malta, and Slovenia, expressed their alarm over the incident and called for urgent action. Many emphasized the need for the Council to address the humanitarian crisis and ensure that resolutions pertaining to Gaza are implemented.

However, the U.S. representative opposed the immediate adoption of a Security Council resolution, although Washington acknowledged the seriousness of the school attack. The U.S. stated it had requested an explanation from Israel regarding the circumstances surrounding the airstrikes.

Slovenia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, affirmed its commitment to consulting with various delegations to unify the Council’s stance on the matter.

The Security Council reiterated the importance of protecting humanitarian workers, including local UNRWA staff, in accordance with international law. The Council reaffirmed its commitment to fully implementing resolutions on the protection of humanitarian workers, including Resolution 2730, and called for the urgent enforcement of resolutions addressing the situation in Gaza, particularly Resolution 2735.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli occupation forces have continued genocidal aggression across the Gaza Strip by land, sea, and air. These attacks have led to the deaths of 41,118 civilians, predominantly women and children, with over 95,125 others injured. Thousands of people remain trapped under rubble or stranded on the streets as the conflict intensifies.

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, the international community is calling for an urgent resolution to protect civilians and ensure accountability for violations of international law. (ILKHA)