Targeting a school during a war could be justified or, at least, argued to have been a mistake. But striking more than 120 schools, killing and wounding thousands of civilians sheltering inside, can only be intentional and a horrific war crime. Between Oct. 7 and July 18, Israel did precisely that, targeting UN infrastructure in the besieged Gaza Strip with total impunity.

The price has been horrific. According to UNRWA estimates, at least 561 internally displaced people have been killed in its shelters and 1,768 injured since the start of the war. In fact, within a period of just 10 days, between July 8 and July 18, at least six UN-run schools, which have served as makeshift shelters for displaced Palestinians, were targeted by the Israeli army, resulting in the killing and wounding of hundreds.

Historically, UN-linked organizations have seemed to be somewhat immune from the impacts of war on local populations. The privilege of being neutral outsiders to the conflict allowed those affiliated with such organizations to carry out their duties largely unhindered.

The Israeli war on Gaza, however, is the primary exception among all modern conflicts. According to UN sources, 274 aid workers and more than 500 healthcare workers have been killed. These figures are consistent with all other numbers produced by the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza. Indeed, not a single category of people has been........

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