Gaza – The Israeli airstrike that levelled a United Nations clinic in the heart of the Jabalia refugee camp has reignited outrage among Palestinians, who view the bombing as yet another calculated attack on defenceless civilians under the guise of military necessity.

The clinic, a facility run by UNRWA and long known as a place of refuge for displaced families, was sheltering hundreds when it was struck on Wednesday morning. By the time the dust settled, 22 people had been killed—16 of them women, children, and elderly. Survivors emerged dazed and bloodied, recounting scenes of horror as fire swept through the building, trapping families inside.

No armed groups were present, according to field workers from the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, who arrived at the scene shortly after the attack. Witness testimonies, as well as on-the-ground observations, revealed no signs of military activity near the building. What they did find were charred belongings, body parts, and the remains of families who believed they had finally found safety.

“The world tells us to seek refuge, and then watches as we are slaughtered in those very places,” said one survivor. His voice trembled as he spoke of retrieving children’s limbs from the rubble—children he had played with just hours earlier.

Israel has attempted to justify the bombing by alleging the presence of fighters, yet no evidence has been provided. For many Palestinians, such claims have become routine cover for a policy of collective punishment. The strike on Jabalia is seen not as a military error, but as part of a broader strategy aimed at emptying Gaza of its people, one clinic, one school, one home at a time.

As the international community continues to call for restraint without consequence, Gaza is left to bury its dead under the gaze of a silent world. In a place where even UN facilities offer no protection, the illusion of international law has all but crumbled.