By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said it was “deeply concerned” about an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City school compound on Saturday that local civil defence officials say killed around 100 people, adding to condemnation of the attack from several Arab states, Turkey, Britain and the European Union’s foreign policy chief.
The school compound in Gaza City housed displaced Palestinian families. The Gaza Civil Emergency Service, which has a credible record stating casualty numbers, said about 100 people were killed in Saturday’s strike. Israel said around 20 militants had been operating at the compound.
Video from the site showed body parts scattered among rubble and more bodies being carried away and covered in blankets.
“We are deeply concerned about reports of civilian casualties in Gaza following a strike by the Israel Defense Forces on a compound that included a school,” the White House said in a statement, adding Washington was in touch with Israel to seek more information.
Washington has faced mounting domestic and international criticism, including from human rights groups, for its military support for Israel. Saturday’s airstrike came a day after a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. will provide Israel $3.5 billion to spend on U.S. weapons and military equipment after Congress appropriated the funds in April.
“We know Hamas has been using schools as locations to gather and operate out of, but we have also said repeatedly and consistently that Israel must take measures to minimize civilian harm,” the White House added.
The White House statement also said “far too many civilians continue to be killed and wounded” in the Gaza war and reiterated its calls for a ceasefire.
The U.S. comments followed condemnation of the attack from Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was horrified by the images from the school, while British foreign minister David Lammy said he was “appalled” by the strike.
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter in Gaza’s schools, most of which have been closed since the war began 10 months ago.
The strike marked the latest deadly attack in Israel’s assault on Gaza which the health ministry in the Hamas-governed enclave says has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians while also displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
President Joe Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire proposal in an address on May 31. Washington and regional mediators have since tried arranging the Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal but have run into repeated obstacles.
There has separately been an increased risk of a broader Middle East war after recent killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut drew threats of retaliation against Israel.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Editing by Josie Kao and Daniel Wallis)
