Tamer Kirolos, a regional director for Save the Children, said:
“This is the deadliest attack on a school since last October and it is devastating to see the toll this has taken including so many children and people at the school for dawn prayers. In times of war, there is often a “new normal” but this must not be it.
“School attacks are happening at least weekly, with three in one 48-hour period last week. Even wars have laws and all parties must respect the protected status of schools and not use schools as battlegrounds.
“All measures must be taken to protect civilians – to distinguish between them and those taking part in hostilities, and to only pursue military targets if civilian harm can be minimized. That is not what we are seeing in Gaza, where children make up around 40% of the population and of people killed and injured since October. Civilians, children, must be protected. An immediate definitive ceasefire is the only foreseeable way that will happen.”
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