DaysofPal – The United Nations said Thursday that more than 737,000 people have been displaced in Gaza since the latest wave of Israeli attacks began in March, highlighting the worsening humanitarian crisis across the Strip.
Quoting figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay told reporters that over 11,500 people were newly displaced between July 8 and July 15.
“This brings the total number of displaced since March 18 to more than 737,000 — about 35% of Gaza’s population,” she said. “And over the past 21 months, nearly everyone in Gaza has been displaced — most of them multiple times.”
Tremblay noted that Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours hit locations sheltering displaced civilians, resulting in casualties and further exacerbating the situation.
While humanitarian needs continue to soar, she said that only minimal aid is making it into Gaza. She welcomed the first delivery of benzene in over 135 days as “a small but significant step,” given its importance for operating ambulances and essential services — but stressed that “it’s not enough.”
Tremblay also addressed an Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Holy Family Church, condemning the attack on a house of worship that had been serving as a shelter. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, she said, “strongly condemns today’s reports of an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, a place of worship and a sanctuary for civilians.”
“Attacks on religious sites are unacceptable,” she added. “People seeking refuge must be protected — not targeted.”
She once again reiterated the UN’s call for an immediate ceasefire and for all parties to respect civilian life and allow unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
In response to a question from Anadolu about reports that Israel has transferred administrative control of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to a settler council, Tremblay said the UN had not reviewed the report but emphasized: “We always call for the protection of all religious sites.”
Earlier this week, Israeli media reported that Tel Aviv had removed the Hebron municipality’s authority over the mosque — also known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs — and handed it to a settler-run body.
The mosque, sacred to both Muslims and Jews, has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The recent move marks the most significant change to its status since 1994, when the site was divided under the recommendations of the Shamgar Commission, following the massacre of 29 Palestinian worshippers by extremist settler Baruch Goldstein.
Currently, 63% of the site is allocated to Jewish worshippers and 37% to Muslims. The mosque lies in Hebron’s Old City, in an area under full Israeli military control, where around 400 settlers live under the protection of 1,500 Israeli soldiers.
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