Israeli army torches school in north Gaza after aid trucks enter
Palestinians displaced from shelters in Beit Hanoun cross the main Salah al-Din road into Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on 12 November 2024
Mera Aladam reports in Middle East Eye on 13 November 2024:
The Israeli military on Tuesday burned down a school that was serving as a shelter for displaced Palestinians in north Gaza after aid trucks had reached the area.
In footage posted online, trucks could be seen lined up as smoke billowed from the Mahdia al-Shawa School in Beit Hanoun. Other clips showed the aftermath of the devastation in the school, where flames could be seen engulfing the building and its surroundings.
According to Al Jazeera, the attack on the school came after the Israeli military ordered displaced Palestinians in the town to flee to the south of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Despite allowing aid to enter Beit Hanoun, the Israeli army deepened its incursion into the town, forcing most remaining residents to leave. Beit Hanoun, home to around 7,500 people, has been under siege for almost 40 days, since Israel launched a fresh military offensive in northern Gaza.
On Tuesday, local media reported that three aid trucks carrying food items and water entered the area for the first time since the blockade began. Simultaneously, Israeli forces shelled the area, killing a number of Palestinians and forcing the rest to flee south.
These reports come after the Israeli military made claims over the weekend that aid packages have reached northern Gaza, including Beit Hanoun, noting that additional aid was entering the northern part of the enclave. However, Israel’s defence ministry told Middle East Eye on Monday that there are currently no planning processes in place to send aid into northern Gaza. A spokesperson for the defence ministry appeared to blame an absence of “political leadership” for the seeming lack of planning for aid deliveries. “As no directives have been received from the political leadership on this matter, there are currently no planning processes, tender procedures, or any engagements underway,” the spokesperson said.