Reports of anti-Muslim and Islamophobic hatred in the UK skyrocketed by 430% on May 8-17 compared to the previous week, with one monitoring group on Monday linking the surge to the most recent escalation between Israel and Palestinians.
Thirteen reports related to Islamophobic attacks on May 1-7 increased to 56 the following week, according to a statement by Tell Mama UK, which said the incidents were "clearly affected by what takes place in Israel and Palestine."
"Following the spike, we have and continue to observe a concerning number of reports regarding examples of racist bullying amongst students. And in some cases, worrying and wholly unacceptable comments from staff and management in some schools towards students," said the group.
Citing the country's 2010 Equality Act, the statement underlined that "public bodies including schools must have due regard to eliminate discrimination, advance equality between those who share a protected character and those who do not and must endeavour to foster positive and good relations between such groups."
It urged full investigations on such incidents "alongside meaningful community engagement, and training to ensure compliance with equalities legislation moving forward, to understand how harmful language does impact students and wider communities."
"Teachers must also set an example by reminding students that bullying, racism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hatred will not be tolerated."
Tensions escalated across the Palestinian territories last month over an Israeli court verdict to evict Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in favor of settlement groups. The situation worsened after Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque and assaulted worshippers inside.
The confrontation spread to the Gaza Strip, with Israel launching airstrikes that killed at least 248 Palestinians, including 66 children and 39 women, and injured more than 1,900 others. Health authorities in the West Bank also confirmed 31 killed in the occupied region, totaling 279 across all Palestinian territories.
Twelve Israelis were also killed in Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
At least 2,000 buildings were completely destroyed and 15,000 buildings became unusable in the Israeli attacks on the enclave, according to the Gaza-based Palestinian Ministry of Labor and Housing.
Some four mosques and dozens of police stations were completely destroyed in the attacks, while many factories in the industrial zone became unusable.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
