How is the war in Gaza affecting civilians?
As of October 7, 2024, over 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, have been displaced within northern Gaza following the intensification of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strikes in the region, including in Beit Lahia and Jabalia, where a refugee camp is located. Earlier, on October 6, Israel announced re-positioning troops from Rafah to North Gaza.
"Southern Gaza is completely overwhelmed and cannot accommodate more people," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. "Many others in the north, especially in the Jabalia camp, are trapped in their homes, unable to leave safely."
Over 70,000 housing units in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli strikes, Palestine’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing stated.
The population of the strip has limited or no access to health care, food, electricity, or humanitarian aid, local authorities stated, while noting that Palestinian children in Gaza have been deprived of education for a year.
Over 300 aid workers, mostly from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), have been killed in Gaza, which is more than in any other single crisis, according to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.