A view of the rubble of buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, October 10, 2023 (AP)

In a recent post on X, the United Nations condemned the Israeli bombing of schools where Gazans seek refuge, urging the Israeli occupation forces to ensure the safety and protection of civilians in various facilities, including schools.

The UN's message emphasized that these shelters, particularly UN schools, are recognized as UN facilities and are mandated to be safeguarded at all times, stressing that any attacks on these facilities violate international humanitarian law.

🛑UNRWA relocated its central operations centre + international staff to the south to continue its humanitarian operations and support to its staff and Palestine Refugees in #Gaza
We urge the Israeli Authorities to protect all civilians in @UNRWA shelters including schools.
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 13, 2023

CONT: STATEMENT
🛑🛑 These UN schools and all other UN shelters are UN facilities. They must be protected at all times and must never come under attack in accordance with international humanitarian law.
ENDs-
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 13, 2023

UNRWA further reinforced the urgency of the situation, announcing that the organization relocated its central operations center and international staff to the southern region of Gaza.

This comes shortly after Israeli occupation forces conveyed an alarming message to the United Nations, warning the UN that an estimated 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza were required to evacuate to the southern part of the Gaza Strip within the next 24 hours amid Israeli threats of an imminent ground invasion.

Simultaneously, Stephane Dujarric, UN Secretary-General Spokesperson, called for the order to be rescinded on humanitarian grounds.

Dujarric confirmed this order and noted that it encompasses all UN staff and individuals currently seeking refuge in UN-operated facilities, which include schools, health centers, and clinics.

UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, is playing a critical role in sheltering more than 60% of the 423,000 people who have been forced out of their homes in recent days within the Gaza Strip.

The specific number of people presently located in the northern Gaza region remains unclear.

"The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences," Dujarric said.

Happening now | In the heart of #Gaza, amidst the sounds of sirens and the thunderous roars of destruction, no one is truly safe.
As "Israel" continues to bomb the Gaza Strip hysterically, mothers, fathers, and children cannot find safety.#Palestine #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/LjtHAoMpIW
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 13, 2023

"The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation," he stressed.

It is crucial to highlight that the Israeli order compelling the forced displacement of the Gaza population aligns with a hysteric wave of airstrikes targeting residential buildings in Gaza. The simultaneous escalation of war and the forced displacement of civilians has plunged Gaza into an alarming humanitarian crisis, with increasing concerns about the potential for a humanitarian catastrophe and fears of genocide.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported the martyrdom of 1,537 Palestinians and the injury of 6,612 others since the beginning of the brutal Israeli aggression on the besieged Strip.

A video circulating on social media shows the brutal and ruthless bombing of #Gaza now amid an excruciating siege imposed on the Strip leaving Gazans without food, water, and electricity. #PalestineUnderAttack #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/Ta9sw2dpPl
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 13, 2023

'Israel' bombed UN schools, killed UN staff, students

In the Gaza Strip, residents have been forced to seek refuge in UN-administered schools, although these sanctuaries have not been spared from Israeli brutal attacks. Amid relentless explosions, thousands of people have no other option than public spaces and schools, hoping to find some safety amid the hysteric Israeli aggression.

Happening now | In the heart of #Gaza, amidst the sounds of sirens and the thunderous roars of destruction, no one is truly safe.
As "Israel" continues to bomb the Gaza Strip hysterically, mothers, fathers, and children cannot find safety.#Palestine #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/LjtHAoMpIW
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 13, 2023

In addition to the Israeli total blockade, the extensive damage from the bombings has further limited the living space in the world's biggest open-air prison, making survival and even breathing increasingly challenging.

Latest SitRep on situation in the📍#GazaStrip ⬇️
🔺@UNRWA sheltering 73,538 internally displaced people in 64 schools
🔺Our school sheltering displaced families was directly hit
🔺15 @UNRWA Health Centres resumed providing primary healthcare serviceshttps://t.co/AMocQRKCUc pic.twitter.com/0mJJ3jCJMf
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 8, 2023

Entire families have been rendered homeless as their neighborhoods lie in ruins, with smoke filling the skies across Gaza. Even within the school shelters, the people of Gaza face hardship amid an impending humanitarian crisis. The blockade has taken a dire turn with "Israel's" decision to cut off these necessities, constituting a violation of international law. Furthermore, even schools, traditionally safe spaces, have not been spared, as UNRWA reports damage to at least four schools due to Israeli airstrikes.

It is worth noting that UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters, on Thursday, that at least 11 UN staff and personnel, as well as 30 students at UN schools, have been killed since “Israel” launched its brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza.

UN: 424,000 have been displaced in Gaza after Israeli bombardment

The United Nations announced today, Thursday, that more than 424,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Gaza due to intense Israeli shelling.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that the number of displaced people in the densely populated Gaza Strip, with a population of 2.3 million, increased on Wednesday by approximately 84,444 additional people, reaching a total of 423,378 displaced individuals.

The statement explained that nearly 220,000 people, or two-thirds of the displaced, sought refuge in schools managed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip. In comparison, nearly 15,000 people sought refuge in schools managed by the Palestinian Authority.

A father and his child in #Palestine comfort each other after being targeted by the Israeli war machines. The IOF is deliberately targeting residential neighborhoods, leveling whole buildings to the ground atop civilians in #Gaza.#PalestineUnderAttack #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/gjEWEhUMSx
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 13, 2023

As for the remaining displaced individuals, more than 100,000 people found shelter with relatives and neighbors and inside churches and other facilities in the city of Gaza.

UNOCHA stated that even before the current Israeli shelling campaign, there were approximately 3,000 displaced individuals inside the Gaza Strip.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs quoted the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Gaza as saying that the intense Israeli bombardment destroyed at least 2,540 housing units, rendering them uninhabitable and that another 22,850 housing units sustained medium to minor damage.

The United Nations agency also expressed concern about the significant damage inflicted on the infrastructure.

The statement pointed out that sanitary facilities, serving more than one million people, have been targeted by air raids, leading to the accumulation of solid waste in the streets, and posing health risks.