Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights

May 26, 2025

What happened?

On May 26, 2025, the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School in the al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, was targeted. The report stated that a fire broke out in the classrooms and that there were casualties, including children and women.

Impact of the incident on civilians

A fire breaking out inside crowded rooms increases the risk of evacuating children and the elderly, and raises the need for ambulances and firefighting equipment.

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 a careful follow-up on the facts related to the “fire at Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School in Gaza following an attack on a shelter,” making information available to the affected families, providing treatment, relief, or redress according to the nature of the damage, and distinguishing between established information and the legal characterization that requires a specialized investigation.

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