Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights

May 12, 2025

What happened?

On May 12, 2025, Fatima Bint Asad Preparatory School in Jabalia al-Balad, northern Gaza, was attacked while it was sheltering displaced families.

Impact of the incident on civilians

The use of schools as shelters has led to educational and humanitarian needs being met in the same place, and their exposure to bombing has become a direct threat to families seeking shelter.

Protecting education and shelters

Schools and civilian buildings are protected from direct attack unless they become military targets under legal conditions. The presence of displaced families within them necessitates special attention to their safety and the possibility of their evacuation if needed.

What is needed to protect the population?

These developments necessitate careful monitoring of the facts related to the issue of “targeting Fatima Bint Asad School in Jabalia raises questions about the protection of displaced persons,” making information available to affected families, providing means of treatment, relief or redress according to the nature of the harm, and distinguishing between proven information and the legal characterization that requires a competent investigation.

Image: Illustrative archive image that does not necessarily depict the incident described in the article. Image data, photographer, and license on Wikimedia Commons