UN agency: 42,000 Palestinians displaced as a result of Israeli airstrikes

About 42,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have fled their homes as a result of Israel’s air attacks.

According to the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip, the displaced persons have sought shelter in 50 schools run by the organisation.

The organisation said more than 2,500 people have been left homeless after their houses were destroyed.

Although Israel said it was only targeting militant positions and doing its best to avoid civilian casualties, some of those positions are in the middle of highly crowded residential areas.

‘3,150 ROCKETS FIRED INTO ISREAL SINCE LAST MONDAY’

While giving an update on Monday, the Israeli army said militants have fired about 3,150 rockets from the Gaza Strip toward Israel.

The recent violent clash between Isreal and Palestine follows weeks of rising tensions relating to the decades-long conflict.

Hamas, an Islamist resistance group, began firing rockets at Israel a week ago after Israeli forces raided Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Hundreds of Palestinians and a number of Israeli security officials were injured during the raid.

Isreal’s army has also responded with a massive assault on Hamas targets in the coastal area.

The army said about 460 of the rockets never made it across the border and went down in Gaza territory.

According to the Israeli army, its iron dome missile defence system had an interception rate of about 90 percent, and by comparison, “a total of 4,481 rockets were fired at Israel during the entire 51-day Gaza war in 2014”.

The army added that there are no current figures on the number of attacks by Israel in the Gaza Strip as of Monday morning.

At least 198 people, including 58 children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the conflict while more than 1,300 Palestinians are wounded.

Israel has reported ten deaths, including two children.

You can read more about the crisis in TheCable’s explainer.