JERUSALEM 

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Wednesday an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in the Gaza Strip is “a matter of life and death.” 

In a statement, UNRWA termed the relentless Israeli bombardment of the blockaded enclave as “shocking.”

“The level of destruction is unprecedented,” the UN agency said. “The human tragedy unfolding before us is unbearable.”

'An immediate humanitarian ceasefire is a matter of life and death for millions of people,” it added.

The UN agency termed the ongoing Israeli offensive that forced thousands to flee their homes in Gaza as “forced displacement.”

“More than 670,000 people are sheltering in nearly 150 overcrowded UNRWA installations,” it said. “These people face deteriorating humanitarian conditions and severe health and protection risks.

The Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

More than 10,300 people have since been killed in the conflict, including at least 8,796 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

Besides the large number of casualties and displacement, basic supplies are running low for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the Israeli siege.

*Writing by Ziad Aslan in Ankara