President Michael D Higgins has criticised the destruction of a school in a West Bank village that was partly-funded by Irish Aid.

He described the incident in the village of Khirbet Zanuta as a 'violation of international law.'

President Higgins said the school, along with the "forced abandonment of the village as a whole" in recent weeks, was "further evidence of the appalling impact which the increase in that violence of recent weeks is having on the lives of children."

"As Janez Lenarčič, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management has stated, such destruction of a school is intolerable and a violation of international humanitarian law," President Higgins said.

Article 99

It comes as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on the 15-member Security Council to "press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe" and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire.

He invoked a rarely-used clause known as Article 99 on Wednesday.

The article allows the UN chief to bring to the attention of the Security Council "any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security."

In a letter to the Council, Mr Guterres highlighted the "potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region".

'Ensure children are shielded'

President Higgins said all nations must do what they can to help.

"The Secretary-General’s action must be treated with the utmost seriousness and all steps possible taken to avert further catastrophe and to provide a meaningful, lasting peace," he said.

"It is incumbent on all of us who believe in the basics of international humanitarian law to seek to ensure that children in particular are shielded from violence and abuse and to provide them with special protection at times of conflict".

President Higgins also said the "horrific number of children who have been killed since 7th October must inform all of our actions.

"We must support our international institutions and the Secretary-General of the United Nations in their plea that an end be brought to this death and destruction," he added.

The Hamas-led Health Ministry in Gaza said 350 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in the past 24 hours.

UN humanitarians warned on Thursday that the situation in the war-torn enclave is becoming "apocalyptic" with hostilities making meaningful humanitarian efforts "nearly impossible."

The UN Security Council will meet in emergency session on Friday to discuss the crisis.