Palestinian girl shot dead in UN-run school in Gaza Strip

A 10-year-old Palestinian girl was shot and killed today while lining up for afternoon assembly in the yard of a United Nations-run school in the occupied Gaza Strip at a time when firing was heard from the direction of the Israeli-controlled border area, the fifth such fatal incident in the territory in the past two years.

“Despite the hopeful signs of improvement in the situation we have again been reminded of the continuing danger to which innocent children are exposed by the realities of the occupation and the irresponsible use of arms,” said Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which runs the school.

UNRWA has repeatedly protested against the Israeli military’s indiscriminate firing into civilian areas in the occupied Palestinian territory. Rafah Elementary Co-Ed “B” School, which is 800 metres from the border, has been hit on numerous occasions since the start of the conflict but this is the first time shots have had tragic consequences.

Noran Iyad Deeb was killed and a second girl, Aysha Isam El-Khatib, was injured in the hand by a second bullet. The school’s teaching staff was attempting to clear the children from the school yard when a bullet hit Noran in the face.