US-manufactured bombs linked to lethal Israeli airstrikes on Gaza schools, according to recent reports.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza have raised significant concerns regarding the impact on civilian life, particularly in education facilities. A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) outlines allegations of Israeli strikes utilizing U.S.-made bombs in attacks that have resulted in the tragic loss of Palestinian civilian lives.
Released on Thursday, the HRW report indicates that Israel has conducted numerous strikes against schools accommodating displaced individuals since the onset of military actions in October 2023. The report highlights these incidents as “unlawful indiscriminate attacks,” suggesting violations of international law. Specifically, HRW scrutinized two incidents in 2024 where GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, provided by the United States, were reportedly deployed. Notably, one attack on the Khadija girls’ school in Deir el-Balah on July 27, 2024, tragically claimed the lives of at least 15 individuals, while another strike on the Zeitoun C school in Gaza City on September 21, 2024, resulted in at least 34 fatalities.
Israeli officials have stated that their military operations target Hamas militants; however, they have not presented concrete evidence confirming the presence of military targets at these school locations during the reported attacks. HRW’s findings emphasize a lack of military presence at the schools when the strikes occurred, raising further questions about the justifications provided by Israeli authorities.
The recent escalation of strikes on schools housing displaced families aggravates what is already a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli forces targeted at least 10 schools sheltering displaced individuals between July 1 and July 10, 2025, resulting in 59 deaths and the displacement of numerous families.
HRW has underscored that educational facilities utilized for civilian refuge are safeguarded under international law, except when employed for military uses. The organization has called for an immediate suspension of arms transfers to Israel, highlighting a potential complicity of nations providing military support.
Nearly one million Palestinians have sought refuge in various educational institutions across Gaza since the escalation of conflict began in October 2023, as reported by the United Nations. The HRW report details extensive damage to Gaza’s educational infrastructure, with 92 percent of its 564 schools requiring full reconstruction or significant repairs. Alarmingly, at least 836 individuals sheltering in these facilities have reportedly lost their lives due to the ongoing violence, which may implicate a systematic pattern of attacks that could constitute war crimes.
As the situation in Gaza continues to unfold, the international community faces urgent calls to uphold their responsibilities under international humanitarian law, ensuring the protection of civilians and fundamental human rights within the region.
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