By Abdallah Aljamal – Gaza

The Palestine Chronicle spoke with three survivors of the latest Nuseirat massacre, who described what had taken place on that bloody dawn on Thursday.

Israeli occupation forces committed a gruesome massacre at dawn on Thursday, once again targeting displaced civilians in a school affiliated with the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza

The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip confirmed that at least 40 Palestinians were killed and many others injured as the Israeli strike completely destroyed three classrooms where war refugees had taken shelter.

Though Nuseirat has not experienced major military incursions since the start of the war, it has been a site for numerous massacres, targeting schools, residential towers, markets and bakeries. 

The Palestine Chronicle spoke with three survivors of the latest Nuseirat massacre, who described what took place on that bloody dawn on Thursday.

‘As We Slept’

Ibrahim Ayad was in the school when Israeli forces targeted it with several rockets. 

“I fled with my family after my house was destroyed and we live in extremely difficult living conditions, but my only goal has always been to find a safe place for my children,” he told The Palestine Chronicle. 

Now, Ayad feels unsafe. The school had already been targeted over a month ago and eight Palestinians had been killed. Today’s massacre, however, was even worse.

“This is the very definition of genocide. They targeted us when we were asleep. Israeli leaders should be held accountable for these immoral crimes,” he said.

‘It was a Nightmare’

Ibrahim Hussein is a volunteer at the school. Along with others, he has been helping the displaced refugees in their desperate attempt to survive the ongoing onslaught.

Though Hussein had already experienced other massacres in Nuseirat, including one at that very school he was shocked by the horror that followed the Israeli attack.

“Scores of people were killed, there were body parts scattered everywhere in the school,” he told the Palestine Chronicle.

“Children and women were terrified, everyone fled outside, generating unprecedented chaos,” Hussein continued. 

“I tried to calm people and children down, but it was a nightmare, shrapnel was scattered everywhere.”

Smoke and Shrapnel

Dr. Yunus Eid is a volunteer physician who is currently working at the shelter.

At the moment of the strike, he was sleeping at the medical point in one of the four schools, which are part of the targeted UNRWA compound. 

“When we heard the bombing, we immediately rushed out. Smoke and shrapnel were everywhere,” he told us.

“We tried to calm people down, help them, and inform them that the bombing had targeted the neighboring school, but the strike was massive,” he continued.

The number of displaced persons in the four schools exceeds 50,000. 

“In the morning, everybody realized the magnitude of the heinous crime committed by the occupation,” Dr. Eid said. 

He called on international institutions and major powers to intervene and immediately stop the occupation’s crimes and the Israeli war on Gaza.

“I hope that this is the last massacre in this terrible war and that an urgent agreement will be reached soon.”

(All Photos: Abdallah Aljamal, The Palestine Chronicle)