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Israeli strikes kill 300 Palestinians in 180 Gaza UN facilities

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Jan 2024 08:33
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UNRWA director emphasizes that 1.4 million Palestinians are seeking shelter in UN Facilities amid ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.

The tent camps of forcibly displaced Palestinians are pictured in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip close to the border with Egypt. (AFP)

Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the killing of at least 300 individuals housed in 180 UN facilities in the Gaza Strip, as reported by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Sunday.

UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma said in a post on X: "1.4 million people in Gaza sheltering in UNRWA facilities and many more in the vicinity, sleeping outside."

In the same context, Touma said on December 30, as quoted by BBC, that over 1.4 million people forcibly displaced by the Israeli aggression are currently residing in UNRWA facilities, primarily repurposed schools.

As the Israeli aggression persists, many have sought shelter anywhere available, including streets and overcrowded apartments housing up to 70 people, and those with financial means are renting rooms, she added.

Tragically, a significant number are forced to live in open spaces, parks, and even in their cars, as the quest for safety remains elusive due to the absence of secure zones in Gaza, as per Touma.

"Nowhere is safe in Gaza, not the north, not the middle, and not the south," Touma said.

While the world is crowded with New Year's celebrations, the streets of southern📍#GazaStrip are crowded with displacement. pic.twitter.com/YubraXxZmP
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 31, 2023

The UN agency said in another post on Sunday that "while the world is crowded with New Year's celebrations, the streets of southern Gaza Strip are crowded with displacement."

UNRWA: 5% of Gaza's population either martyred, wounded or missing

The spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Adnan Abu Hasna disclosed harrowing statistics last Thursday, revealing that 5% of Gaza's population is now categorized as either martyrs, wounded, or missing.

Abu Hasna further emphasized the dire humanitarian situation exacerbated by a surge in intestinal diseases (quadrupled), respiratory diseases (quintupled), and skin diseases (tripled).

He also drew attention to the alarming prevalence of meningitis among children and epidemic hepatitis resulting from the consumption of contaminated water. Abu Hasna highlighted the agency's efforts to provide humanitarian aid twice a week, yet the widespread state of hunger persists.

Revealing a concerning trend, UNRWA's spokesperson disclosed that a significant portion of the Gaza population is being pushed towards the border city of Rafah, home to approximately 250,000 people. This demographic shift raises serious issues at multiple levels.

9,100 of the 21,882 #Palestinian martyrs in Gaza are children.

"Israel" is no stranger to killing Palestinian children, but this marks a new record for the occupation. If Palestinian children aren't killed from the relentless bombing of civilians in #Gaza, they are bound to die… pic.twitter.com/m7k1IH4hjq
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 1, 2024

Children in Gaza are facing life-threatening risks from hunger and thirst, particularly in Gaza City and the Strip's northern regions. Access to even one daily meal is becoming increasingly scarce, compelling families to resort to unsafe and unhealthy cooking methods.