Hostilities forced 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza to leave their homes, says UN agency

Around 42,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have fled their homes because of Israel’s air attacks on the coastal territory.

They have sought shelter in 50 schools run by the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip,a spokesperson for the organisation said on Monday.

The organisation added that more than 2,500 people have been left homeless after their homes were destroyed.

Israel says it is only targeting militant positions, but some of those were in the middle of highly crowded residential areas.

According to Israel, the military is doing everything it can to avoid civilian casualties.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that tensions have been running high in the Sheikh Jarrah area in occupied East Jerusalem over the past month as Israeli settlers swarmed in following a court order for the eviction of Palestinian families in the area.

Palestinians protesting for the residents of Sheikh Jarrah who have been targeted and threatened with expulsion by Israeli forces.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 198,  a move that has never been recognized by the international community.