The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that after two months of Israeli blockade, residents of the northern Gaza governorate continue to flee deadly violence and suffer deprivation in areas to the south.

In its latest update on Friday, the office reported that on Wednesday more than 5,500 people were displaced from northern Gaza to Gaza City after Israeli forces surrounded three schools and nearby homes in Beit Lahiya, and that IDPs to Gaza City reported that Israeli forces had shot at fleeing on Salah al-Din Road.

The office said the newly displaced from Beit Lahiya sought safety in three shelters in Gaza City. He said more than 12 displaced families from the areas around Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza had arrived in Gaza City. Since 28 November, some 8,000 people have been displaced towards Gaza City from areas in the northern Gaza Strip, the office said.