Rabat – The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that over 22,000 people in Gaza have sustained “life-changing” injuries since the beginning of the war in October.
According to the UN health agency, about a quarter of those wounded have injuries that will require amputations or long-term rehabilitation services.
The WHO’s analysis estimates that between 13,455 and 17,550 individuals have sustained severe limb injuries, which are now the primary reason for the increasing need for rehabilitation services in Gaza. Other severe injuries include spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and major burns, all of which will have long-lasting effects on the victims’ quality of life.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to intensify its attacks on Gaza and the West Bank, targeting even areas designated as safe zones. On Wednesday, Israeli forces bombed a school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 18 people, including six staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The al-Jaouni school was providing shelter to approximately 12,000 displaced Palestinians.
Witnesses described the horrific scene, with women and children torn to pieces in the aftermath of the airstrike. The school’s manager was among those killed. UNRWA confirmed that this marked the fifth time the al-Jaouni school had been hit since the war on Gaza began in October last year.
“This is the highest death toll among our staff in a single incident,” UNRWA said, noting that Wednesday’s attack highlights the severe danger faced by civilians in Gaza. “No one is safe in Gaza. No one is spared,” the agency stated in a post on X.
Reporting from the scene, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum described the “tremendous amount of destruction” at the school, where the smell of blood still lingered in the air.
