Iranian schools, hospital and landmarks among civilian sites hit during US-Israeli strikes
Iranian Civilian Sites Under Fire in US-Israeli Strikes
US and Israeli military actions against Iran have caused significant harm to civilian infrastructure, including educational institutions, medical facilities, and historical sites, as revealed by satellite imagery and confirmed video evidence. The toll on civilian lives continues to escalate, with reports of over 1,168 deaths, including 194 children, since the attacks began on Saturday.
Internet Blackout Hinders Reporting
An almost complete internet shutdown has limited communication with people inside Iran and made it challenging to access real-time footage. Despite this, some Tehran residents with intermittent connectivity described the night of Thursday as the most violent period in the capital, with many staying awake due to relentless bombing.
“The noise of explosions was like a nightmare,” said one local, while another compared the chaos to “a scene from a dystopian movie.”
Damage to Key Facilities
According to BBC Verify, striking evidence shows destruction at a hospital, sports centers, and two schools. Iranian officials reported 168 fatalities at one school in Minab on Saturday morning. Another school in Urmia, northwest of Tehran, also suffered damage. The Gandhi Hospital in the capital was hit on Sunday, leaving extensive damage visible in the aftermath.
Footage captured the hospital’s ruins, with debris and glass scattered as civilians evacuated. Mohammad Raeiszadeh, head of Iran’s Medical Council, confirmed the IVF department was destroyed. The IDF acknowledged “minor damage” to the hospital, attributing it to a strike near a military facility. A collapsed transmission tower on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) site, adjacent to the hospital, suggests the facility might have been the target.
International Law Concerns
Janina Dill, an Oxford University international law scholar, noted that media outlets can qualify as military targets during conflict, depending on their role in strategic operations. The attack on the hospital has drawn criticism from Iran’s foreign ministry, calling it a “blatant war crime,” and the WHO’s Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the incident as “extremely worrying.”
Additional strikes in Lamerd, a southern coastal city, resulted in 20 deaths at a sports hall on Saturday. Videos show heavy damage to the building, with scorch marks and smoke rising. The site is near an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps base, though no visible harm to the base has been detected in low-resolution satellite images.
Funeral Procession Amid Crisis
On 2 March, a mass funeral in the city center featured hundreds of mourners carrying photos of victims and the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei. The event underscored the human toll of the ongoing conflict, as residents grapple with the devastation and fear of further attacks.
