BRUSSELS: European Union Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell on Saturday urged for an immediate ceasefire and a political resolution to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a school and resulted in the deaths of at least 30 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children.
This strike is part of a broader and escalating crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory, with mounting civilian casualties and widespread displacement.
Borrell condemned the latest attack on a school in Khan Younis, which was being used as a shelter for internally displaced Palestinians. The EU’s top diplomat emphasized the urgent need for adherence to international humanitarian law and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged population.
“Ceasefire has to happen now. International Humanitarian Law has to be respected. Humanitarian assistance to civilians needs to be delivered at scale. Only a political solution will end this madness,” Borrell declared in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This recent attack on the school, which was sheltering civilians displaced by the ongoing conflict, marks at least the eighth such incident since July 6. According to Gaza’s health ministry and hospital sources, these strikes have collectively resulted in the deaths of more than 100 persons.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached alarming levels, with most of the territory’s 2.4 million residents having been displaced at least once during the Israeli bombardment campaign, which began on October 7. Many displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in schools, which have now become primary shelters amidst the ongoing conflict.
In his statements, Borrell highlighted the dire conditions faced by the displaced population, who are repeatedly forced to relocate amid continuous attacks. He called for the international community to take decisive action to end the violence and support a political resolution to the crisis.
The escalation of violence has continued to wreak havoc across Gaza, with the health ministry reporting a staggering death toll of at least 39,258 Palestinians, mostly women and children, due to Israeli bombardments over the past nine months. This includes recent casualties, with 83 deaths reported in just the last 48 hours. Moreover, the ministry reported 90,589 injuries since October 7.
In the Khan Younis area, where Israeli military operations have intensified, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported approximately 170 deaths and hundreds of injuries since the operations began on Monday. “Since the beginning of the Israeli military operation in the Khan Yunis area, we are talking of approximately 170 martyrs and hundreds of wounded,” stated agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal.
