Israeli airstrikes, which destroyed or severely damaged nearly 450 buildings in the Gaza Strip, displaced more than 52,000 Palestinians, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Tuesday (May 18). (OCHA).

About 47,000 people have taken refuge in 58 UN-run schools in Gaza, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for OCHA in Geneva, told reporters.

According to him, 132 buildings were destroyed while 316 others seriously damaged, including six hospitals, nine health care centers and a desalination plant - thus complicating access to drinking water for around 250,000 people.

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The UN and its humanitarian partners provide food and other assistance to displaced families when security conditions permit, Jens Laerke said.

Israel had opened a border crossing for humanitarian convoys - which the UN agency welcomed while requesting the opening of a second access - but decided on Tuesday to close it after shellfire, Israeli authorities said.

"A shocking disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians"

Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), spoke of a severe shortage of medical supplies, a risk of water-borne diseases and the spread of Covid-19 due to the overcrowding of people in schools.

In a separate statement on the conflict, which has pitted Israel against activists in the Gaza Strip for nine days, Amnesty International said Israeli airstrikes on residential buildings could constitute war crimes.

The organization thus called for the opening of an investigation at the International Criminal Court.

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"Israeli forces have shown a shocking disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians," said Amnesty, which said it had gathered information about four deadly Israeli attacks on homes without warning.

The Israeli government, for its part, assures us that the army only strikes sites considered to be military targets used by Hamas militants and does everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, in particular by issuing prior warnings to evacuate buildings.

With AFP and Reuters

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