UN Warns of Civilian Losses as Israel Targets Safe Zones in Gaza
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Israel's military offensive in Gaza's southern Khan Younis and Rafah areas, targeting residential zones and civilian infrastructure, has resulted in a significant number of casualties, as revealed by the United Nations (UN).
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the bombardment, occurring in zones where Palestinians were instructed to relocate from northern Gaza by Israeli forces, has led to a distressing toll on civilians.
The latest update from UNOCHA underscores the gravity of the situation, indicating that within a 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday, Israeli attacks resulted in 187 Palestinian deaths and 312 injuries.
The spread of diseases, notably in the southern region of Gaza, has seen a concerning escalation, with almost 180,000 individuals suffering from upper respiratory infections, around 136,400 enduring diarrhea (with half being children under five), over 5,300 cases of chickenpox reported, 42,700 people afflicted by skin rashes, more than 4,680 cases of Acute Jaundice Syndrome, and 126 incidents of meningitis reported.
Reports from UN officials indicate that Israeli soldiers fired upon a humanitarian aid convoy on its return journey from northern Gaza along a route designated by the Israeli military.
On Thursday, an attack near El Amal Hospital resulted in ten reported fatalities, following a Wednesday assault at the same location that claimed the lives of 31 individuals. Around 14,000 displaced individuals seek refuge in the vicinity of the hospital.
In Gaza, at least 21,507 people have been killed and 55,915 injured in Israeli attacks since October 7.
