UNRWA begins building 1st school in Gaza after Israeli war

The United Nations relief and human development agency has kicked off the construction of the first school associated with the organization in the besieged Gaza Strip after the Israeli onslaught on the blockaded area.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Sunday inaugurated the construction of the Khuzaa Preparatory School in the town of Khuzaa east of the city of Khan Younis in the southern part of the besieged area.

It is one of the several schools that the UN body plans to construct in the blockaded area whose educational institutions suffered great devastation in the Israeli onslaught.

The commissioner general for the UNRWA, Pierre Krähenbühl, was also present during the inaugural ceremony where he called on the international community to fulfill their pledges to help reconstruct the besieged territory.

According to reports, in excess of two dozen schools were completely destroyed in the Israeli aggression and at least 232 others were damaged during Israel's last war on Gaza.

Israel attacked the Palestinian territory in early July 2014 and later expanded its military campaign with a ground invasion of Gaza. The war ended in late August that year. Nearly 2,200 Palestinians lost their lives and some 11,000 were injured in the attacks. The Gaza Strip has been under a crippling Israeli siege since 2007. The blockade, which has cut off the territory from the outside world, has led to an economic and humanitarian crisis in the densely-populated enclave.

Israel not only defies international calls to lift the siege, but also does not allow medication or construction materials into Gaza.

IA/NN/HRB

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