A harrowing cellphone video shows Ward Al-Sheikh Khalil, a 5-year-old girl, trudging through rubble after an Israeli strike hit a school in the Gaza Strip that served as a shelter for her and her family. The attack killed 33 people, including her mother, five siblings, and her brother Seraj.
Khalil’s uncle described the scene: “The bodies of my brother’s family were all charred and torn to pieces.” When Khalil returned to the scene, she found her sister’s abandoned flip-flop and broke down in tears. She said, “They all died after a rocket fell on top of them… The fire was raging… I saw dad on the way, in the ambulance.”
The Israeli Defense Forces claimed the strike targeted a Hamas command center inside the school building. However, European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen called the attack “abhorrent” and criticized Israel’s disproportionate use of force against civilians.
Aid agencies have struggled to deliver food to Gaza due to a blockade imposed by Israel. The United Nations says that even when aid is delivered, it often doesn’t reach those who need it most. Khalil’s uncle warned about the lasting impact of trauma on Gaza’s children: “Even we are in a terrible psychological state… When they come out of such bombardment and such war, how do you want children to feel?”
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has begun distributing food, but aid agencies object to its methods. A local resident described the situation: “We’re like stray dogs collecting food from trash. If we don’t, we starve.” The foundation distributed about 462,000 meals over two days of operation, but more needs to be done to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gaza-israel-war-strike-on-school-kills-girls-family