Deir al-Balah, December 23 (RHC)-- At least 297 displaced people in Gaza have been killed since the Israeli aggression against the narrow strip of land began, according to a statement from the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).  The number comes from those who were sheltering in facilities run by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East  (UNRWA).

Another 1,032 displaced Palestinians taking refuge in those shelters were also injured, the OCHA statement read, adding that UNRWA schools in the strip were also damaged.

"Seventy of the schools damaged are UNRWA schools, with at least 56 serving as shelters for IDPs [internally displaced persons]," the statement read.  "Several schools, including UNRWA schools, have been directly hit by Israeli airstrikes or tank shells."

Overall, about 1.9 million Palestinians, constituting over 85% of Gaza's population, have been displaced across the strip since October 7, according to UNRWA. A majority of them, roughly 1.4 million people, are sheltering in UNRWA facilities.

In Rafah: Gaza's southernmost area has now become the most densely populated area in the enclave, with a density of 12,000 people per square kilometer, following the arrival of tens of thousands of displaced people there in search for safety since December 3rd, OCHA said.