BRUSSELS 

Israel has used US-made bombs on Gaza schools sheltering displaced civilians, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thursday, urging a suspension of arms transfers to Israel.

In a report, HRW said Israeli forces carried out "unlawfully indiscriminate attacks" on civilian shelters using US-supplied munitions, including GBU-39 bombs manufactured by Boeing. The rights group documented deadly attacks on two UN-run schools in Deir al-Balah and Gaza City that killed at least 49 people, mostly women and children.

HRW said it found no evidence of military targets at either the Khadija girls' school (July 27) or al-Zeitoun C school (Sept. 21, 2024), based on satellite imagery, videos, and witness accounts. Israeli authorities did not respond to HRW's request for details about the intended targets or precautions taken.

"Israeli strikes on schools sheltering displaced families provide a window into the widespread carnage that Israeli forces have carried out in Gaza," said Gerry Simpson, associate director at HRW, calling on governments, including the US, to halt military support.

"The US government's provision of arms to Israel, which have repeatedly been used in strikes on schools-turned-shelters and to carry out apparent war crimes, has made the United States complicit in their unlawful use," it said.

The organization also cited UN data showing that between July 1 and 10, Israeli forces struck at least 10 schools-turned-shelters, killing 59 people and displacing dozens of families again. Nearly 97% of Gaza's schools have been damaged or destroyed since October 2023, it added.

HRW stressed that attacks on schools without clear military objectives violate international law and may constitute war crimes. It also criticized the reported use of "double tap" strikes that target first responders.

Israel has claimed Hamas operatives used school compounds for command centers but has released evidence for only a few cases, HRW said.

Israel has killed more than 61,100 people in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.