More than 123,000 displaced in Gaza: UN

“Over 123,538 people, have been internally displaced in Gaza, due to fear and protection concerns"

JERUSALEM (AFP) – More than 123,000 people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of conflict between Palestine and Israel, the United Nations said on Monday.

“Over 123,538 people, have been internally displaced in Gaza, mostly due to fear, protection concerns and the destruction of their homes,” said the UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA.

More than 73,000 are sheltering in schools, OCHA said, some of which have been designated emergency shelters.

Read our Flash Update #2 on the escalation in the #GazaStrip and Israel. https://t.co/aM3ynzlbNo pic.twitter.com/p3OFco55Md

— OCHA oPt (Palestine) (@ochaopt) October 8, 2023

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on Gaza since Saturday, when Hamas group launched deadly attacks in Israel and fired thousands of rockets at the country.

Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said he expected the numbers to rise further.

“There’s electricity in these schools, we provide them with a meal, clean water, psychological support and medical treatment,” he told AFP.

Meanwhile, Refaat al Areer, a Gaza resident, tells Al Jazeera of what it was spending the night under constant sound of Israeli bombardment in the besieged enclave.

“We have run out of adjectives to describe the Israeli bombing of whole blocks, targeting Palestinian families as they slept, targeting mosques, businesses and residential areas.

“The night was unprecedented. We barely slept. The situation was terrifying.

“I think this is just going to be the beginning because the bombs have not stopped for 10 hours, not even for a minute.”

Gaza is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, who have lived under a crippling Israeli blockade imposed after Hamas took power in 2007.

‘CONTROL REGAINED’

The Israeli army says it has regained control of all towns around the Gaza fence.

In remarks quoted by the Israeli media, army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said incidents of clashes between troops and fighters have been “isolated” in the last few hours.

He said that currently there is no fighting in the region, adding: “It is possible there are still terrorists in the area.”

Hagari said tanks, supported by combat helicopters and drones, are defending the breaches around the fence, adding that 15 out of 24 towns on the border have been evacuated.

IRAN DENIES

Iran says claims that it played a role in Hamas’s assault on Israel were unfounded.

“The accusations linked to an Iranian role… are based on political reasons,” foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani told reporters.

Palestinians had “the necessary capacity and will to defend their nation and recover their rights” without any help from Tehran, Kanani added.

His comments came after the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran helped Hamas plan its surprise attacks.