UNRWA: War on Gaza caused largest displacement of Palestinians since 1948

GAZA, Jan. 14 (YPA) – The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said that the Israeli bombing across the Gaza Strip has so far caused a mass displacement, the largest displacement of Palestinians since 1948.

Lazzarini added in a statement on Saturday that the continuous Israeli bombing forced the Palestinians to leave their places of residence, more than once and to move to equally unsafe places.

He continued: “This war affected more than two million people, that is, the entire population of Gaza.” Many of them will suffer for life, both physically and psychologically. The vast majority, including children, will suffer from severe trauma.”

The UN Commissioner stated that children in Gaza are facing “tragic conditions,” noting that an entire generation of them would need years to recover from the effects of this war.

Lazzarini pointed out that “thousands have been killed, maimed, and orphaned; hundreds of thousands have been deprived of education; and their future is in danger, with serious and long-term consequences.”

He warned that the crisis in Gaza was exacerbated by the use of food, water, and fuel “as tools of war.”

The Israeli occupation army continues its war on the Gaza Strip since Hamas and other Palestinian factions launched a surprise attack on Israeli settlements and sites adjacent to the Strip on October 7.

The war left about 23,843 martyrs and 60,317 injured, causing massive infrastructure destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, according to the Gaza Strip authorities and the United Nations.

YPA