13,000 people killed, 1.7M displaced in Gaza since Oct. 7: UN agency for Palestinian refugees

By Muhammed Rajawi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Around 13,000 people have been killed and almost 1.7 million people displaced in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the agency said 75% of the people killed are reportedly children, women and elderly persons.

“As of 19 November, nearly 930,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are now sheltering in 156 UNRWA installations across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including in the north,” it said.

“Nearly 770,000 IDPs are sheltering in 99 facilities in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas” the statement added.

The UN agency also said that “'nearly 160,000 IDPs were sheltering in 57 UNRWA schools in the northern and Gaza areas as of 12 October 2023, before evacuation orders were issued by Israeli Authorities.”

“UNRWA is not able to access these shelters to assist or protect IDPs and does not have information on their needs and conditions,” it added.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

Authorities in Gaza said Monday that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 has jumped to over 13,300 including 5,600 children and 3,550 women.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ziad Aslan in Ankara