Fifty schools destroyed by Israeli strikes, which could impact over 41,000 children

Over the past week, fifty schools have been damaged by Israeli strikes, which could potentially impact over 41,000 children, according to Save the Children.

Humanitarian bodies including UNICEF and Save the Children have urged all parties to adhere to international conventions and cease the violence on an immediate basis, calling the crisis a "grave violation against children".

According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), over 47,000 displaced persons have been forced to use schools as shelter, after losing their homes to Israeli airstrikes.

Furthermore, schools remain closed in both the Gaza Strip and Southern Israel, putting education beyond the reach of hundreds of thousands of children.

Since the escalation of the conflict on the 10th of May, 63 children have been killed in Gaza, with an additional 450 children injured.

According to Jason Lee, the Country Director for Save the Children in the Occupied Territory, "The destruction of schools is an abomination. Sites of learning, opportunity, play and fun for children have swiftly transformed into refuges from the bombing as homes have been destroyed and families ripped apart – and sadly the numbers of schools being destroyed show that even here, there is nowhere to hide".

Lee added that "One in 15 schools in Gaza has now been damaged. With every school that is damaged or destroyed, children’s prospects of experiencing, and building a better future diminish".