United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday that he was “deeply shocked” by the death and injury of dozens, including women and children, as a result of the bombing of two UN schools in less than 24 hours in the Gaza Strip.

He added that the victims “were searching for safety in the United Nations buildings.”

He added in a statement, “Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians are seeking shelter in United Nations facilities throughout Gaza due to the intensification of fighting. “I reiterate that the sanctity of United Nations buildings must not be violated.”

He added that the war between Israel and the militants of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which runs in the Gaza Strip, had caused a “shocking and unacceptable number of civilian casualties,” calling again for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons.