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The United Nations has said over 260,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, as heavy Israeli bombardments from the air, land and sea continue to hit the Palestinian enclave.
It added that fierce fighting has left thousands dead on both sides since Hamas launched a surprise assault on Saturday, spurring Israel’s reprisal bombing campaign.
“Over 263,934 people in Gaza are believed to have fled their homes,” said UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in an update Tuesday, warning that “this number is expected to rise further”.
It said that around 3,000 people had been displaced “due to previous escalations”, prior to Saturday.
“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,” UN added.
The bombing campaign has destroyed more than 1,000 housing units, and 560 have been so severely damaged they are uninhabitable, OCHA said, citing Palestinian authorities.
