UN blames Israel, Israel blames militants

UN blames Israel, Israel blames militants

The attack killed at least 19 people and wounded 125 others. The Israeli army said it was investigating the incident.

"Earlier this morning, militants opened fire and fired grenades at soldiers from the vicinity of the UNWRA school in Jabaliya," said a statement, and added that Israeli soldiers "responded by firing towards the origin of fire."

Israel has repeatedly accused the Islamist Hamas of using schools and civilian areas as a base to launch attacks.

The UN on Tuesday revealed that missiles were found in one of the schools, which was the third case of its kind. However, the world organization has not given the location of the school, nor who was responsible for the weapons. It was stressed that this was "yet another flagrant violation of the neutrality of UN facilities."

A spokesman for UNWRA Chris Gunnes made an initial assessment on Wednesday that it was Israeli artillery that hit the school.

He said that among the dead were women, children and a guard, adding that the attack caused "the world to stand disgraced," the BBC reported. The footage from the scene showed large holes in the walls and the roof of the school.

Gunness added that Israel had been told 17 times that the school in the Jabaliya refugee camp was housing the displaced, "the last time was hours before the fatal attack."

"We must not forget that these are the people who were instructed to leave their homes by the Israeli army. Last night children were killed as they slept next to their parents on the floor of a classroom in a UN shelter, " said the UN official.