Press Release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Gaza

“Israel” terrorizes innocent civilians and targets schools and economic facilities

17-05-2021; 06:30 PM

This morning, Monday, May 17, 2021, “Israeli” warplanes have waged a massive wave of raids on civilian and residential targets across Gaza Strip, causing a great state of panic and fear, especially among women and children.

“Israel” has bombed the industrial zone in Gaza, and destroyed a number of factories and vital facilities.

The destruction of factories, economic facilities, and civilian infrastructure aggravates human suffering and increases the already high rates of unemployment in the besieged strip.

Today, “Israel” has escalated its aggression to a new level and informed the Ministry of Education in Gaza, through UNICEF, that it intends to bomb two schools in the west of Gaza.

The barbaric acts of “Israel” against innocent civilians in Gaza, such as bombing houses and residential buildings and destroying schools and civilian infrastructure, indicate the immorality of this occupation, and its lack of commitment to international conventions.

The hostile actions by “Israel” against civilians in Gaza have substantially increased after receiving support from the international community to continue its operations in the defenseless Gaza Strip.

In the meantime, Gaza Strip faces an imminent humanitarian disaster, as the fuel of the power plant has run out, and considering the damage of power, water, communication, and internet services.

It should be noted that the work of water pumps, communication towers, and internet servers depends on the power supply by the plant.

Regarding this ongoing aggression, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses the following:

• First, we condemn the support of some Western countries to “Israeli” operations in Gaza under the pretext of self-defense, and wonder: Does the right to self-defense justify destroying homes and residential buildings over the heads of women and children, or targeting schools, factories, and media offices? We also condemn the American approval of a large arms deal with “Israel”, and consider this step – especially in the current time – as direct participation in the “Israeli” massacre. The time has come for the international community to take a moral and humanitarian position towards this aggression, away from narrow interests.
• second, we demand the immediate resumption of fuel supply for the power plant, and the protection of technical staff working to fix the damaged lines, in order to avoid the imminent humanitarian disaster in Gaza Strip.
• Third, we call for international protection of schools that provide shelter to more than 38,000 people displaced from their homes.
• Fourth, we demand compensation for the owners of damaged factories and the reconstruction of all destroyed homes and residential buildings.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Gaza – Palestine