Sunday, September 22

At least 22 people were killed and over 30 others were injured in Gaza after an Israel strike on a former school recently.

The airstrike struck the Al-Zaytoun School in Gaza City, where Israel claimed a Hamas stronghold was situated. Thousands of Palestinians, including numerous women and children, were sheltering there, as schools and hospitals tend to be safe spaces for displaced refugees to set up camp. Unfortunately, Hamas centers tend to also be strategically placed in those areas, as they have a high concentration of civilians and are less likely for Israel to directly attack.

It is unknown whether there were actually any Hamas operatives inside, but Israel stated that the school served as a "command and control center" for Hamas and was used by the organization to "plan and carry out terrorist attacks." Residents told CNN that they received absolutely no warning before the attack, and it took them completely by surprise. The missiles destroyed most of the building, leaving it in ruins. One video taken by the Associated Press showed metal rods and electrical wiring strewn everywhere, and the ceiling caved in on the original ground floor, leaving a massive amount of debris to sift through.

Locals are acting as their own rescue crews in this situation, and they are now searching through the rubble for more survivors. 30 people were harmed in the bombing, but hospitals in the area are already overwhelmed with patients-- unfortunately, they will most likely fail to get adequate care for their injuries. Sadly, as Hamas continues to shelter in schools and hospitals, the death toll and frequency of these strikes will only increase as Israel moves toward their goal of totally eliminating Hamas.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The rarest facial feature is known as heterochromia-- when your eyes are different colors. There are three types of heterochromia: complete heterochromia (two different-colored irises), central heterochromia (an inner/outer ring that is a different color than the other area of the iris), and partial heterochromia (part of one iris is a different color than the rest of it). Heterochromia only affects less than 1% of the world’s population. However, it may be rare in humans, but heterochromia is quite common in dogs!

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I clean up, putting all the tools and instruments back where they belong, remembering that a tool in the wrong place is no better than a tool we don’t have. (Scott Kelly)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Paraphernalia (noun)- Paraphernalia can refer to objects or items that are used to do a particular activity, as well as objects or items that are typically associated with a particular activity, subject, etc. The word can also refer generally to personal belongings.

In a Sentence: Jordan’s childhood bedroom was filled with hockey paraphernalia.