The main United Nations agency in Gaza says virtually 1.9 million people, more than 80 percent of the population, have been displaced since October 7 due to Israel’s unrelenting bombardment.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) provided some updates on the massive displacement of the Palestinians across the besieged territory.
In a statement released on Monday, UNRWA said Israeli airstrikes were ongoing even where people are being forced to flee such as the border city of Rafah.
“No place is safe, not there and not anywhere in Gaza. A brutal war continues, unabated,” the agency said on X.
As of December 2, 111 UNRWA staffers have been killed in the Israeli airstrikes, it said.
The UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said he has nothing to tell people asking the agency for advice on where to safely shelter.
Lazzarini says what Israel is undertaking cannot not simply amount to “collateral damage” given the incredible number of civilians killed and facilities hit.
In an intimidating move typical of Israel, the regime has forced the Palestinians to evacuate several more areas in the besieged Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said on Sunday its ground offensive had expanded to every part of the Palestinian territory.
Many were displaced early in the war, when Israel forced Palestinians in northern Gaza to move to the south, implying that they would be safer there, despite warnings that such a huge displacement would be a humanitarian catastrophe.
In the days and weeks since, however, Israel has also targeted the southern areas. Many believe nowhere in the strip is safe.
Israel resumed bombing the Gaza Strip early Friday after declaring an end to a weeklong truce with the resistance movement Hamas.
Nearly two months into Israel’s bloody onslaught on Gaza, the regime is wreaking havoc across every corner of the territory, leaving a trail of death and destruction.
In the north, the regime has pummeled the Jabalia and Nuseirat refugee camps. It has also struck a school in western Gaza City, where thousands of displaced people were taking shelter. In the east, the regime forces have reduced more than 50 homes to rubble. Multiple areas in the south, including Khan Younis, were also targeted in new Israeli strikes.
Hamas says Israeli forces have directly bombed 14 hospitals. Only a few medical facilities in the Palestinian territory are functional, inundated with thousands of the wounded.
Gaza communication services: Fully out
Palestinian telecommunications companies said services in Gaza were completely cut off due to the Israeli bombardment.
“We regret to announce that all telecom services (landline, cellular and internet) in Gaza City and north Gaza Strip have been lost due to the disconnection of main elements of our network in light of the ongoing aggression,” PalTel company stated in a posting on Facebook.
“Our technical teams are working relentlessly by all available means to restore the services.”
