Regularly, NU.nl provides you with an overview of the developments in the war between Israel and Hamas. This time: an independent commission of inquiry concludes that Israel has made education in Gaza virtually impossible. In addition, part of the crew of activist boat Madleen has been expelled.
At least 400 of the 564 school buildings in Gaza have been attacked, the commission of inquiry writes. This happened in the period from October 7, 2023, the day Hamas invaded Israel, up to and including February 25, 2025.
The attacks took place not only from the air, but also from the ground. 85 buildings, most of which were universities, were completely destroyed. Even if there was no direct military necessity for this.
The attacks have made education in the Gaza Strip virtually impossible. According to the researchers, more than 658,000 students have not had any education for more than a year and a half. According to the researchers, this may have long-term negative consequences for their development.
According to the Israeli army, school buildings are targeted because they are used by Hamas as a shelter or as a location from which they can launch attacks. UN organization UNRWA has determined at least 42 times between October 7, 2023 and March 15, 2024 that Hamas has used school buildings.
The researchers say that Israel used “excessive” force to eliminate such Hamas targets. The army could and should have taken into account the presence of civilians on school grounds and in buildings. Therefore, the researchers call the Israeli attacks on (former) school buildings war crimes.
Israel begins expulsion of crew members of action ship Madleen
Israel has begun the expulsion of the activists who tried to reach Gaza by boat in recent days. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was put on a plane earlier on Tuesday and has now arrived in Paris.
The ship Madleen was en route to Gaza with twelve crew members. The aim of the crew was to break the blockade of the area. They had taken a modest amount of relief supplies with them. Israel detained the crew at sea.
Just like The Times of Israel, the office of the French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, who sailed on the Madleen, reports that four crew members are leaving the country of their own accord. The other eight would have to appear before a judge, where they will undergo an expulsion procedure. That applies to Hassan and reportedly also to the Dutch captain Mark van Rennes.
During the sixteen-hour voyage after their arrest, the crew members received hardly any food and drink and had to remain on the deck of the ship for hours. That reports ANP based on a statement from Hassan’s assistant. Thunberg said the same upon arrival in Paris, but did not want to elaborate.
Again deaths reported at Gaza food distribution point
At least seventeen Palestinians are said to have been killed by gunfire at a distribution location for food packages from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The incident happened in the middle of the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. Dozens of people are said to have been injured.
Israel confirms on X that shots were fired. It is also not denied that there were (fatal) casualties. But the Israeli army (IDF) says that the figures on the victims are not correct.
“IDF troops fired warning shots to keep suspects at bay who were advancing in the Wadi Gaza area and posed a threat to the troops. This despite warnings that the area is an active combat zone,” the armed forces say.
The GHF claims that the aid distribution went without incident on Tuesday and says that more than 35,000 food packages were distributed.
The GHF locations open at 6:00 AM. But because there are only a small number of aid points and supplies are limited, some Gazans have to start walking deep into the night. Otherwise they will be too late and miss out. The routes to the GHF locations are said to be very unclear and therefore dangerous, eyewitnesses told Reuters.
Four countries announce sanctions against right-wing ministers Israel
The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Norway announced sanctions on Tuesday against the far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. The countries state that the pair has incited “extremist violence” and human rights violations of Palestinians in the West Bank.
“Settler violence is fueled by extremist rhetoric that calls for Palestinians to be expelled from their homes, encourages violence and human rights violations, and fundamentally rejects the two-state solution,” the countries write in a joint statement. The countries call the rhetoric of the ministers “repulsive and dangerous”.
The British Foreign Office reports that the assets of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are being frozen and that their travel options are being restricted.
Israel calls the sanctions “unacceptable” in a reaction.