ISTANBUL 

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA has confirmed a total death toll of its employees in Gaza due to Israeli airstrikes at 158.

“As of 15 February, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is now 158, an increase of two since UNRWA last update,” the agency said in a report on Friday.

It added that increased airstrikes in the southern Gaz city of Rafah have “heightened fears that they will further hamper overstretched humanitarian operations.”

“Nearly 1.5 million people are in Rafah, more than six times the population in comparison with before 7 October,” the agency said.

The agency also pointed out that “the number of trucks entering Gaza remains well below the target of 500 per day, with significant difficulties in bringing supplies in through both Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Rafah.”

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Israeli attacks since then have killed at least 28,775, injured more than 68,552 others, and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Some 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the initial Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi