The Israeli military on Wednesday provided aerial evidence of three Hamas rocket launching sites located close to schools in the Gaza Strip.
It was also made public that the militant group that governs the Palestinian coastal enclave was in contact with educators to promote terrorist infrastructure close to the educational sites in Gaza City — the Mo'ath Bin Jabal School, the Khalil Al Nobani Secondary Female School, and the Al-Furqan Public School.
According to Israel's army, the principal of the Mo'ath Bin Jabal was in contact with a Hamas operative before the launch of the Israeli army's "Guardian of the Walls" operation in May 2021 and allowed rocket launches toward Israeli territory from the vicinity of the school. Rockets were fired close to the Al-Furqan Public School during "Guardian of the Walls" and also during Israel's Operation "Breaking Dawn" in August 2022 when Palestinian terrorists fired 1,100 rockets toward Israel and the Israeli army conducted some 147 airstrikes in Gaza.
The Maaz bin Jabal School is also used as an emergency shelter by UNRWA — the United Nations agency tasked with supporting Palestinians. Last month, the UNRWA announced that a terror tunnel was found underneath one of its schools in Gaza, condemning it as a "neutrality breach."
"The conduct of Hamas, which has been exposed once again, proves that the organization uses the residents of the Gaza Strip, and in these cases innocent children, as human protectors," Israel's army said. "Over 1,000 students routinely study in these schools — the Hamas organization consciously chooses to endanger them."
Related Story: Hamas, Celebrating its Anniversary, Brandishes Gun of IDF Soldier Killed in 2014