Ban Ki-moon: Strike on U.N. school in Gaza a 'moral outrage and a criminal act'

Ban Ki-moon: Strike on U.N. school in Gaza a &#039;moral outrage and a criminal act&#039;

(Image credit: Ilia Yefimovich / Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

United Nations chief Ban Ki-Moon on Sunday unequivocally denounced the shelling of a school in southern Gaza as "yet another gross violation of international humanitarian law." Ban did not lay blame for the attack directly on Israel, though he suggested the IDF was responsible, noting that the troops "have been repeatedly informed of the location of these sites."

The Sunday strike on the school in Rafah, which is housing 3,000 displaced civilians, killed 10 Palestinians. Israel admitted last week to firing shells that struck another U.N. school and killed 16, though it has blamed misfired Hamas mortars for other such incidents; seven U.N. schools have been shelled during the conflict.

"This attack, along with other breaches of international law, must be swiftly investigated and those responsible held accountable," Ban said in a statement. "It is a moral outrage and a criminal act."

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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.