A Group of Palestinian Refugees Moves into a Severely Damaged School in Gaza

After significant damage from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, a group of Palestinian displaced people moved into a U.N.-run school and renovated a few classrooms.

Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip caused damage to the school that was previously operated by UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, in the southern city of Khan Younis.

After being forced to flee their home, the families from the Egyptian border city of Rafah in the south cleaned some of the classrooms, cleared out trash, and repaired some of the damage before relocating. Out of the 1.3 million Palestinians who were seeking shelter in Rafah before the start of the operation, 360,000 have left, according to UNRWA.

Israel has dismissed warnings from the US and other allies that any significant operation there would be disastrous for civilians. Instead, it has painted Rafah as the militant group’s last stronghold.

In the meantime, Israel has invaded and bombed areas of Gaza that Hamas has taken over, and the group is currently fighting Israel in these areas.

Aid from Egypt has not flowed into Rafah since Israeli troops took control of a border crossing there.

Aid organizations are unable to reach the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel due to fighting in Rafah city, although Israel claims it is still allowing supply trucks to enter from its side.