GAZA CITY, Palestine

At least 200,000 Palestinians have been displaced in the Gaza Strip amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, the UN humanitarian office said on Tuesday.

“In Gaza, at least 200,000 of the 2.2 million residents have been displaced after fleeing for fear of their lives or their houses were destroyed by airstrikes,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.

“Most of them are taking shelter in UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) schools, at least two of which have already been damaged by airstrikes in the area,” it added.

The UN office feared that the number of displaced Palestinians in Gaza would increase amid continuing Israeli attacks and Hamas rocket fire.

The situation escalated in the Gaza Strip following an attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Israeli towns near the seaside territory. Israel retaliated with massive airstrikes in Gaza and placed the enclave under total blockade.

More than 1,800 people were killed in the violence, including at least 830 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis.

Israel has also cut water and electricity supply to Gaza, inevitably worsening the already dire humanitarian situation.

Home to nearly 2.2 million people, the Gaza Strip has already been reeling under a crippling Israeli siege since 2007.