WASHINGTON

At least 11 UN staff and personnel and 30 students at UN schools have been killed in the Gaza Strip in Israeli airstrikes following Hamas' attack on Israel.

"Eleven UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) staff and personnel have been killed since Saturday," spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters during a news conference.

"Meanwhile, 30 UNRWA students have also been killed and another eight have been injured," he said.

"UNRWA staff are working around the clock to respond to the needs of the displaced," he said. "However, some are overcrowded and have limited availability of food, other basic items and potable water."

The agency wrote in an X post that it was "very saddened" to confirm that 11 colleagues have been killed since Oct. 7 in the Gaza Strip.

"Some were killed in their homes with their families," it said. "UNRWA mourns this loss and is grieving with our colleagues and the families."