Hamas Again Uses Gaza Schools as Shields for Rocket Launchers

Three schools in Gaza are again being used as cover for the enclave’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization.

The Israel Defense Forces this week published photos of the rocket launchers alongside the schools. The exposure came about two weeks after the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that the ground around one of its schools had collapsed. It was later revealed that the collapse was due to construction of a Hamas terrorist tunnel.

EXPOSED: This is how Hamas exploits children, teachers and school buildings for its terrorist agenda.
We can reveal that Hamas is deliberately using these 3 schools in Gaza as a shield for its terrorist activities.
Schools are meant for children—not rockets. pic.twitter.com/WAUq68tjZd
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 14, 2022

It’s not the first time Hamas has used United Nations sites in Gaza as cover for their attacks on Israel. This month’s Hamas terror tunnel was discovered under a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Hamas has repeatedly dug terror tunnels under UNRWA and Gazan schools.

More than 291,000 Gazan students attend classes in 278 UNRWA-administered schools across Gaza.

This time around, Hamas stationed a rocket launch site adjacent to the Mo’ath Bin Jabal school in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City.

Next to the school, which is used by UNRWA as a shelter during emergencies, is a Hamas rocket launch site.

Prior to Operation Guardian of the Walls, the school’s principal, Mehammed Abu Oun, maintained contact with an operative in the Hamas rocket array, Jalal Abu Aoun, who it appears enabled the installation.

Hamas stationed a second rocket launch site near the Khalil Al Nobani school in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City.

Terrorist organizations also stationed rocket launchers near the Al-Furqan elementary school in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City.

Rockets were launched at Israel from these sites near the school throughout Operation Guardian of the Walls and Operation Breaking Dawn, endangering the lives of Gazan students and residents.

More than 1,000 students attend the schools that Hamas is using for terrorist activities.

“Hamas purposefully puts both civilians and pupils in danger by using them as human shields,” the IDF said in a statement. “Hamas is only interested in its own terrorist agenda, and students in Gaza constantly find themselves in danger from being used as human shields.

“The cynical exploitation of schools proves once again that the terrorist organization consciously chooses to endanger Gazan civilians and use them as ‘human shields’ in benefit of their terrorist agendas,” the IDF added.