Israel 'massacres' five schools in one week.

In just eight days, Israeli forces have attacked five schools in the Gaza Strip, killing dozens of people seeking shelter, according to Palestinian officials, medical workers and rescue workers. The latest attack on Sunday struck the UN-run Abu Olayban School in Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 17 people and wounding around 80. Most of the victims were women and children, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense. A report from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Bara, where some of the injured were taken, said women and children with severe burns were found lying on the floor "in pain and distress." "This is the result of an incendiary bombing," he said.

The attack came in the wake of an even deadlier attack that struck a tent near the entrance to Al-Awda School in Khan Younis on July 9, killing at least 29 people. Two days earlier, four people were killed in another attack on the church-run Holy Family School in Gaza.

Bloodshed at Gaza schools, which have become refuges for what Israel accuses of strengthening Hamas, has been a recurring scene throughout the war. Israel has repeatedly attacked civilian buildings after accusing Palestinian fighters of using them for military purposes, but has not provided any evidence to back up its claims.

Activists accuse Israel of using unjustified force against Gaza's civilians. Nine months of relentless shelling have left more than 38,600 people dead, most of them women and children. On Saturday, Israel attacked the Al-Mawasi security area, killing at least 90 people and wounding 300. "Massacres are happening every day across Gaza," Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot said in response to the recent school attacks. "This is the result of Israeli impunity and the international community's inaction."

Since the war began on October 7, Israel has attacked more than 400 schools in the Gaza Strip, one of the few places displaced Palestinians can find refuge, destroying 88% of all educational facilities. With the enclave's education system destroyed, some 620,000 Palestinians who are out of school have little hope of ever attending school. A UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR) report released in June said Israel's repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, including schools, appear to violate international law.

"Civilian lives and infrastructure are protected by international humanitarian law," said OCHCR Chairman Volker Türk. "This law very clearly outlines the obligations of the parties to armed conflict, making the protection of civilians a top priority."

"Since October 7, Israel's chosen methods and means of conducting hostilities in Gaza, including the widespread use of explosive weapons with mass effects in populated areas, have failed to ensure an effective distinction between civilians and combatants."