Some 182 UNRWA employees have been killed during Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, said Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Lazzarini said that more than 160 UNRWA premises were damaged or destroyed, noting that “Most of these premises were sheltering displaced people – more than 400 people have been killed in these premises.”

He added that growing concerns remain about a potential military attack on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, with fears of evacuations if no agreement is reached this week.

“People have not yet been asked to evacuate from Rafah,” he wrote. “But there is a sense that if there is not a ceasefire deal this week, it could happen at any time.”

The UN agency chief emphasised that aid convoys in Gaza are facing difficulties, and there is worry about Gaza residents detained in Israel.