Mohamed Salem/Reuters
Shells from Israeli tanks hit a UN school compound in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, leaving at least 15 dead and more than 200 wounded. According to reports, pools of blood could be seen in the school courtyard along with strewn books. The school compound was the site where hundred of Palestinians had come seeking shelter from the fighting. UN facilities have been hit four times in the conflict so far. According to UNRWA, the Palestinian refugee agency, it tried to coordinate with the Israeli army over the location of the shelter, but was not successful. The Israeli military, which says it is reviewing the matter, issued a statement saying the strike was “in the midst of combat, with Hamas terrorists in the area of Beit Hanoun, who are using civilian infrastructure and international symbols as human shields. In the course of the afternoon, several rockets launched by Hamas from within the Gaza Strip landed in the Beit Hanoun area.”