TEHRAN (Sputnik) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday condemned a deadly Israeli strike on a school in Gaza City that sheltered displaced Palestinians and urged international organizations to prevent the repetition of such incidents, calling the attack «inhumane.»
«Strongly condemning this inhuman and cruel act and expressing deep concern and condolences to the families of those killed and injured in this tragedy, … I call on international organizations, especially the UN Security Council and Islamic countries, to [observe] their responsibility to preserve peace and security at the regional and international levels, to prevent, using the maximum possible means, the repetition of such crimes against humanity,» Pezeshkian said in a statement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani has also condemned the attack and called on the UN Security Council to take immediate measures to stop «Israel’s crimes» in the Gaza Strip.
The UN Human Rights Office said Israel had struck the packed school at least three times during dawn prayer on Saturday, with an initial report of at least 93 Palestinians killed, including 11 children and six women. Dozens of others were reported to be seriously injured, with the majority being children, women and the elderly. The Israeli military defended the strikes, saying the school housed at least 20 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, including senior commanders.
The United Nations estimates that Israel has launched at least 21 strikes on schools sheltering displaced persons in Gaza since July 4, killing at least 274 people. The Israeli military justified most of the attacks saying the schools were used by Palestinian armed groups.
