Geneva - The Israeli army's horrific targeting of shelter centres housing thousands of displaced Palestinians in various areas of the Gaza Strip was strongly condemned by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, which warned of Israel’s intent to ethnically cleanse the Strip.

Euro-Med Monitor stated that over the past 48 hours, Israel has intensified its air and artillery attacks against shelter centres—particularly UN-run schools—which may amount to war crimes and serious violations of international humanitarian law.

The rights organisation cited the intensive bombing of Al-Fakhoura School in the northern Jabalia camp as well as Tal Al-Zaatar and Abu Hussein schools in the town of Beit Lahia town, also located in northern Gaza, which followed the targeting of two Gaza City schools (Al-Falah and Al-Mawhibin). These school attacks have resulted in 580 deaths, plus the injury of hundreds more.

Israel is insisting on intensifying its brutal conflict in the Gaza Strip in order to enforce its ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinian civilians, said Euro-Med Monitor, through indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks that have resulted in a massively high number of casualties.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor urged the International Criminal Court's prosecutor to move quickly to hold Israel responsible for its attacks on Gaza, which qualify as crimes under the Rome Statute and fall under the office's jurisdiction over crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.