Gaza's day of carnage - 40 dead as Israelis bomb two UN schools''
• Bloodiest attack of campaign so far 
• Obama breaks silence on conflict
• Chris McGreal in Jerusalem and Hazem Balousha in Gaza City
• The Guardian, Wednesday 7 January 2009

Israel's assault on Gaza has exacted the bloodiest toll of civilian lives yet, when the bombing of UN schools being used as refugee centres and of housing killed more than 50 people, including an entire family of seven young children.
The UN protested at a ''complete absence of accountability'' for the escalating number of civilian deaths in Gaza, saying ''the rule of the gun'' had taken over. Doctors in Gaza said more than 40 people died, including children, in what appears to be the biggest single loss of life of the campaign when Israeli bombs hit al-Fakhora school, in Jabaliya refugee camp, while it was packed with hundreds of people who had fled the fighting.
Most of those killed were in the school playground and in the street, and the dead and injured lay in pools of blood. Pictures on Palestinian TV showed walls heavily marked by shrapnel and bloodstains, and shoes and shredded clothes scattered on the ground.''

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/07/gaza-isr...

• Chris McGreal in Jerusalem and Hazem Balousha in Gaza City