600,000 Internally Displaced People in Gaza Seeking Shelter in 150 UNRWA Facilities

Members of the United Nations and the Red Crescent prepare aid for distribution to the Palestinians at the UNRWA facility in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP)
Members of the United Nations and the Red Crescent prepare aid for distribution to the Palestinians at the UNRWA facility in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP)
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600,000 Internally Displaced People in Gaza Seeking Shelter in 150 UNRWA Facilities

Members of the United Nations and the Red Crescent prepare aid for distribution to the Palestinians at the UNRWA facility in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP)
Members of the United Nations and the Red Crescent prepare aid for distribution to the Palestinians at the UNRWA facility in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP)

Nearly 600,000 internally displaced people are sheltering in 150 facilities of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza.

Also, at least 40 UNRWA installations have been impacted, the UN agency added in a post on Wednesday on the social media platform X.

"Our shelters are four times over their capacities - many people are sleeping in the streets as current facilities are overwhelmed," the agency added.

Since Oct.7, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in West Bank clashes with the Israeli military, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Israel's military intensified its bombing of southern Gaza overnight after one of the deadliest days for Palestinians since the conflict began as world leaders called for a halt to fighting to allow aid into the besieged enclave.

The United States and Russia are leading international calls for a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas to allow aid into Gaza where Palestinians are living in harrowing conditions.

A total of 704 Palestinians, including 305 children, were killed on Tuesday, the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said, a toll the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said was the highest reported in a single day since the conflict began nearly three weeks ago.



Meeting with Syrian Interim Govt was 'Good Opportunity' for Diplomacy, Berlin Says

A person holds a Syrian opposition flag with the word "Freedom" on it during a demonstration celebrating the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, outside the Syrian embassy in Madrid, Spain, December 8, 2024. (Reuters)
A person holds a Syrian opposition flag with the word "Freedom" on it during a demonstration celebrating the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, outside the Syrian embassy in Madrid, Spain, December 8, 2024. (Reuters)
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Meeting with Syrian Interim Govt was 'Good Opportunity' for Diplomacy, Berlin Says

A person holds a Syrian opposition flag with the word "Freedom" on it during a demonstration celebrating the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, outside the Syrian embassy in Madrid, Spain, December 8, 2024. (Reuters)
A person holds a Syrian opposition flag with the word "Freedom" on it during a demonstration celebrating the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, outside the Syrian embassy in Madrid, Spain, December 8, 2024. (Reuters)

German diplomats' meeting with members of the Syrian interim government was a good opportunity to make contact with the country's new rulers, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said.

"This was the first good opportunity to get in touch with HTS and the de facto guardians in Damascus," the spokesperson said, referring to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group left in charge following the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported.

Tuesday's talks in Damascus focused on stabilizing Syria and looked at ways to resume Germany's diplomatic presence there, according to the spokesperson.