U.S. ‘Defends’ Israel for ‘Disgraceful’ Attack on UN School in Gaza that Killed 15

The United Nations as well as the United States condemned Israel after an Israeli missile attack on a Gaza school killed at least 15 people and injured more than 100 on Wednesday, July 30.

UN called it a "disgrace to the world" while the U.S. government was more selective about its words to condemn the Jewish nation. According to UN officials, Israel committed a serious violation of international law by attacking the UN-run school.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson became emotional while talking about the Israeli missile attack on the school. "Sometimes you run out of words," he said. Eliasson also said that UN suffered "shock and dismay" after hearing the news.

U.S. Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan, on the other hand, was more restrained in her words to describe the incident. "The United States condemns the shelling of a UNRWA school in Gaza, which reportedly killed and injured innocent Palestinians - including children - and UN humanitarian workers," her official statement said, "We are extremely concerned that thousands of internally displaced Palestinians who have been called on by the Israeli military to evacuate their homes are not safe in US designated shelters in Gaza."

While the earlier part of the U.S. statement represented a "concerned" government which would feel for civilian casualty, the next part of it seemed to have echoed what the Israeli government would say in the justification of the shelling. Meehan blamed UN for discrimination and apparently justified the attack by saying that the school had been attacked as "people" were hiding weapons there. "We also condemn those responsible for hiding weapons in United Nations facilities in Gaza," the statement further said, "All of these actions, and similar one earlier in the conflict, are inconsistent with the UN's neutrality."

While Meehan did not name Israel, UN officials claimed that there is enough evidence that it was Israeli artillery that destroyed the school. "This violence underscored the need to achieve a cease-fire as soon as possible," Meehan's statement further said. However, one may wonder if the U.S. government would ever condemn Israel more specifically for the on-going massacre in Gaza.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au