UN Agency Reports Mass Displacement in Rafah Amid Ongoing Israeli Offensive

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has announced a staggering increase in the number of displaced Gazans due to the ongoing Israeli military actions in the region, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

According to a statement released by UNRWA on Friday, the latest Israeli offensive that began on May 6th in the city of Rafah has forced over 630,000 Palestinians to flee their homes. This brings the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Gaza to an alarming level.

The agency described the situation in Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza city hosting many of the displaced, as “unbearably overcrowded with dire conditions.” The mass exodus has overwhelmed the area’s infrastructure and resources, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 35,303 Palestinians have been killed and 79,261 others injured since the start of the Israeli offensive in October 2023. This ongoing violence persists despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

The International Court of Justice has accused Israel of “genocide” against the Palestinian people and ordered the country to ensure its forces do not commit further acts of genocide and to provide humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. However, the blockade of essential supplies such as food, clean water, and medicine continues to cripple the enclave.

Humanitarian organizations are urgently calling for an end to the hostilities and for the international community to take swift action to address the worsening humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.