The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has so far killed 29 UN staff in Gaza. The United Nations Organization for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported this information yesterday on Sunday.
"We are shocked, we are in mourning," UNRWA said in a post on social media X (formerly Twitter). So far 29 of our colleagues have been killed in Gaza in the ongoing conflict since October 7. We have been able to confirm this.
Earlier on Saturday, UNRWA X said in another post that 17 of their colleagues had been killed so far. Half of those killed were reported to be UNRWA teachers.
On October 7, the Palestinian independence organization Hamas attacked Israel. In response, Israeli forces have been carrying out continuous airstrikes since that day. Thousands of Gazans have taken refuge in refugee camps run by UNRWA to escape the attack.
According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, more than 4,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes so far. Israel has cut off fuel, water, food and electricity supplies to Gaza.
The United Nations says 12 displaced people who took shelter in a school they run have been killed. About 180 people were injured. It was also reported that 38 UNRWA installations were damaged in the attack.
In a separate statement, UNRWA warned that its fuel supplies to Gaza would run out "within three days".
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said without fuel there would be no water. No hospitals and bakeries will be able to function properly. Without fuel, aid cannot reach many civilians. He also said that without fuel there will be no humanitarian assistance.
Deaths are increasing in Gaza, there is no place to store the bodies in the freezer
"There are so many dead bodies that not enough shrouds are available. The condition of the bodies in the hospital is so bad that they are unrecognizable.'' said a medical worker at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah area of Gaza Strip, Palestine.
There are so many Palestinian casualties every day due to the relentless attacks of the Israeli forces in Gaza that these hospitals have no place to house or house them. Doctors are struggling to treat the injured. Hospital freezers are filled with dead bodies. The newly arrived bodies are being covered with white cloth in the hospital yard.
The picture is similar for other hospitals in Gaza, which are facing severe shortages of electricity and medical equipment. For example, Al-Quds Hospital in northern Gaza. Buildings near the hospital were reduced to rubble by Israeli strikes. Only 23 doctors of the hospital are treating more than 500 injured people. They are not able to understand which of the injured people should be treated first.
On October 7, Hamas, the armed group of the Palestinian independence movement, launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory. Since then, Israel has been carrying out brutal attacks on Gaza. There was a terrible bomb attack in Gaza yesterday and Sunday. The local health ministry said 266 Palestinians had died in attacks in the last 24 hours (until yesterday evening). 117 of them are children.With this, 4 thousand 651 people have been killed by Israel's bombs in Gaza until yesterday. Injured 14 thousand 245 people. Most of the dead were women and children. Meanwhile, more than 1 thousand 400 people have died in Israel due to Hamas attacks. More than 5 thousand injured.
In the meantime, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari has threatened to intensify attacks on Gaza. On Saturday night, he said, those who are still in the northern part of Gaza (Gaza City) should leave their homes and go south. Those who do not go will be considered Hamas sympathizers.
Yesterday, Hamas fighters opened fire when some Israeli soldiers went to 'repair' a border fence near Khan Yunis in Gaza. The soldiers retreated.
Air strikes on the West Bank
Israeli forces have carried out airstrikes in the West Bank over Gaza. The attack was carried out yesterday in a refugee camp in the Jenin area of the West Bank. A mosque in the camp was destroyed. At least one person was killed. Many are buried under the rubble. Israeli forces claim that there was a Hamas base in underground chambers under the mosque.
This was the first time since the second Palestinian intifada (2000-2005 mass uprising) that Israel launched an airstrike on a West Bank facility. Israel occupied the West Bank through a war in 1967. Currently, both Palestine and Israel have limited control over the site. There are also illegal Israeli Jewish settlements alongside Arab Palestinians.
Israeli forces are conducting daily operations in the West Bank after Hamas attacks in Israel. As a result of this, at least 58 Palestinians were arrested yesterday in various areas including Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin. Four Palestinians were killed in the operation that day. Israel has detained more than 1 thousand people there in the last 16 days. And during this time 92 Palestinians were killed.
The situation is dire
Besieged Gaza suffers from lack of electricity, water, food and medical supplies. Residents of Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza said that they are struggling to put a little food in the mouths of children. There is a long line of people in front of the bread shop. But bread is not easily available. The reason is lack of flour and electricity.
Standing in line for bread was Saleh Escafio, who fled northern Gaza to Khan Yunis on Israeli orders. He said, "We are in extreme suffering. Waiting for bread since that morning. Children are starving. The situation is shocking.
Amid the plight, an agreement between the US and Egypt allowed 20 truckloads of aid to enter Gaza each day. Gaza residents received the first 20 trucks of relief through the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border on Saturday. Relief reached them yesterday too. However, the UN says this is not even 4 percent of the relief needed in the valley.
Meanwhile, Israel is not allowing fuel oil to be supplied to Gaza as relief aid. The United Nations says hospitals urgently need fuel to keep generators running. Earlier last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that hospitals in Gaza would turn into morgues without electricity.
You must be logged in to post a comment.