Nearly 300 people in UNRWA shelters killed and over 1,000 injured since October 7: UN

More than 1,000 displaced Palestinians taking refuge in those shelters were also injured, the OCHA statement read, adding that UNRWA schools in the strip were also damaged.

“Seventy of the schools damaged are UNRWA schools, with at least 56 serving as shelters for IDPs [internally displaced persons],” the statement read.

“Several schools, including UNRWA schools, have been directly hit by Israeli airstrikes or tank shells.”

Overall, about 1.9 million Palestinians, constituting over 85% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced across the strip since October 7, according to UNRWA. A majority of them, roughly 1.4 million people, are sheltering in UNRWA facilities.

Gaza’s southernmost area has now become the most densely populated area in the enclave, with a density of 12,000 people per square kilometer, following the arrival of tens of thousands of displaced people there in search for safety since December 3, OCHA announced.

At least 19,453 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, the Health Ministry announced Monday.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra stated at a press conference that 52,286 other people have also been injured in the offensive.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege, and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.