On October 7, 2023, Palestinians from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip crossed the border fence with Israel and took control of an Israeli Merkava battle tank. As militants from the blockaded Palestinian enclave penetrated Israel before dawn, the army and medical personnel reported that barrages of rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least one person. (Image credit: SAID KHATIB/AFP) The Gaza Strip is still being heavily bombed by Israel from the air, land, and sea, according to the United Nations, forcing over 260,000 Palestinians to abandon their homes.
It further stated that since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Saturday, which sparked Israel’s retaliatory bombing campaign, there have been thousands of deaths on both sides as a result of heavy combat.
In a report on Tuesday, the UN humanitarian organization OCHA stated that “over 263,934 people in Gaza are believed to have fled their homes,” warning that “this number is expected to rise further.”
Prior to Saturday, it was said that about 3,000 individuals had been forced to flee “due to prior escalations.” “More than 1,000 people have been killed in Israel in the worst attack in the country’s 75-year history, while Gaza officials have reported 900 people killed since the air strikes began,” the UN stated. According to OCHA, which cited Palestinian authorities, more than 1,000 homes have been demolished by the bombing campaign, and 560 more have been severely damaged to the point of being uninhabitable. Nearly 175,500 of the displaced persons found sanctuary in 88 schools sponsored by UNRWA, the UN agency that aids Palestinian refugees. “More than 14,500 other people had sought refuge in 12 government schools, while an estimated 74,000 more were thought to be staying with friends and neighbors, going to churches, or using other facilities.
The amount of Palestinians who are internally displaced in Gaza “represents the highest number of people displaced since the 50-day escalation of hostilities in 2014,” it stated. “Meeting basic needs is becoming increasingly challenging for those who have not been displaced,” said OCHA. Israel shut off food, water, fuel, and electricity to the already-blockaded Gaza Strip, imposing what it dubbed a “complete siege” that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said would worsen an already severe humanitarian situation.