Over 423,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been compelled to leave their homes, according to the United Nations, due to extensive Israeli airstrikes in response to attacks by Hamas.
As of Thursday, (Yesterday) the number of displaced people in Gaza surged by 84,444, bringing the total to 423,378, as reported by the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, on Friday.
This announcement coincided with Israel’s intensified bombardment of the Gaza Strip following a surprise attack on Saturday, one of the deadliest incidents in the region since Israel’s establishment in 1948.
Hamas militants entered small towns, kibbutzim, and a music festival in the desert, resulting in the indiscriminate loss of more than 1,200 lives and the abduction of about 150 individuals into Gaza.
In retaliation, Israel launched a barrage of air and artillery strikes on Gaza, a densely populated area with 2.3 million inhabitants, causing the destruction of buildings and the loss of over 1,400 lives. Israel also made preparations for a potential ground invasion of the Palestinian territory.
“Heavy Israeli bombardments, from the air, sea, and land, have continued almost uninterrupted,” reported OCHA in its update.
The statement added, “Multiple residential buildings in densely populated areas have been targeted and destroyed in the past 24 hours.”
According to OCHA, more than 270,000 people, which is two-thirds of the displaced population, have sought refuge in schools operated by the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. An additional 27,000 individuals have sought shelter in schools administered by the Palestinian Authority, while over 153,000 people have found refuge with relatives, neighbors, and in other public facilities.
Before the Saturday attack, around 3,000 individuals were already displaced within the enclave.
The ongoing bombing campaign has resulted in the destruction of 752 residential and non-residential buildings, including 2,835 housing units, as reported by OCHA, citing data from the Gaza Ministry of Public Works and Housing. Additionally, nearly 1,800 housing units have been damaged beyond repair and rendered uninhabitable.
OCHA also expressed deep concern about the extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure caused by the shelling. At least 90 educational facilities, including 20 UNRWA schools and 70 schools operated by the Palestinian Authority, have been struck and damaged, with one school completely destroyed.
The statement also mentioned the targeting and destruction of eleven mosques, along with damage to seven churches and mosques. Water and sanitation facilities have also suffered damage. Since the hostilities began, six water wells, three water pumping stations, one water reservoir, and one desalination plant serving over 1,100,000 people were damaged by airstrikes.
