Palestinians fleeing the Israeli ground offensive arrive in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Dec 5, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

GAZA / AMMAN / DOHA - The United Nations said on Tuesday that it has monitored a record number of Palestinians who have been displaced to the city of Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip, to escape Israeli attacks.

In a press statement, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that tens of thousands of displaced people from the neighboring Khan Younis have arrived in Rafah in the past 48 hours.

Most of the newly arrived people settled in the city's streets and empty spaces, where they set up tents and temporary shelters, as the shelters in Rafah have far exceeded their capacity.

On Dec 1, the Israeli army published a map of safe areas for the evacuation of Gazans during the next stage of the conflict.

In addition to the area inside the city of Khan Younis, residents from the communities east of Khan Younis, Al-Qarara, Khuza'a, Abasan, and Bani Suhaila, were ordered to move south to Rafah.

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The Israeli army also ordered residents to evacuate from the eastern part of Gaza city and Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip towards the western areas of the enclave

These areas, which occupy 69 square kilometers and constitute 19 percent of the land area of the Gaza Strip, were home to about 352,000 people before the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Israeli army also ordered residents to evacuate from the eastern part of Gaza city and Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip towards the western areas of the enclave.

These areas make up about 6 percent of the Gaza Strip's total land area and were home to about 415,000 people before the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The number of individuals departing the area in response to the most recent Israeli evacuation order is yet unknown, as many nearby residents have already been evacuated.

Overall, it is estimated that about 1.8 million people in Gaza, or nearly 80 percent of the total population, are internally displaced, according to the OCHA.

ALSO READ: Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 15,899 since Oct 7

Palestinians fleeing the Israeli ground offensive arrive in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Dec 5, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

Nearly 1.1 million displaced people were registered in 156 facilities affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) throughout Gaza. Among them, 958,000 people were registered in the agency's 99 shelters in the south.

An estimated 191,000 displaced people are being housed by 124 public schools, hospitals, and other places such as wedding halls, offices and community centers, and the rest live in homes of their family members.

Fighting resumed between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Dec 1 after the collapse of a seven-day ceasefire.

According to the Gaza-based Health Ministry, 15,899 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 42,000 others injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel. In Israel, about 1,200 have been killed, most of whom died during Hamas's attack on Oct 7 that triggered the conflict. 

Palestinians wait to be treated after being wounded in an Israeli army bombardment of the Gaza Strip, in the hospital in Khan Younis, Dec 5, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

Khan Younis under attacks, dozens killed

At least 65 Palestinians were killed, and hundreds of others were wounded on Tuesday as a result of the Israeli attacks that targeted central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian security sources said.

The southern city of Khan Younis has witnessed unprecedentedly intense aerial and artillery attacks overnight into Tuesday, which were compounded by ground clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the eastern and northern parts of the city, as well as continuous advancement of Israel's military vehicles, according to the sources.

Israeli military vehicles attempted to advance towards the western outskirts of Khan Younis to separate it from the central governorate of Gaza, according to the sources.

Around 40 people were killed and dozens of others wounded due to the Israeli airstrikes on the city since last night, said a medical source at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis who wished to remain anonymous.

At least 15 people were killed by an Israeli bombardment on several houses in the town of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, the source added.

In central Gaza, at least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, the source noted.

Meanwhile, Munir al-Bursh, an official with the Gaza-based Health Ministry, said the Israeli army is besieging Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern area with tanks and military vehicles, adding that a complete power outage has hit the Kamal Adwan Hospital, which houses more than 7,000 displaced people.

Moreover, the Palestinian Civil Defense, Gaza's primary search-and-rescue force, announced the suspension of its operations in Gaza City and its northern areas, since all of its vehicles are out of service due to Israeli bombardment and repeated targeting of the organization's members and vehicles.

Jordan King Abdullah II speaks during a plenary session at the COP28 UN Climate Summit, Dec 1, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (PHOTO / AP)

Jordanian King urges ceasefire

King Abdullah II of Jordan on Tuesday warned of the danger of deteriorating conditions in the region due to the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, emphasizing the necessity of an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilians.

King Abdullah II made the remarks during a meeting here with visiting Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, during which he reiterated his rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians inside or outside the Gaza Strip, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

During the meeting, the Jordanian king underscored the need to continuously and adequately deliver aid to all areas of Gaza, and ensure the provision of food, medicine, water, and fuel without any obstacles or delay, and warned of the danger of exacerbating the humanitarian situation due to the continuation of military actions.

The Cypriot president praised Jordan for its role in ensuring the delivery of relief and medical aid to Gaza, affirming his country's support for these efforts. 

Israel condemned at GCC Summit

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday condemned Israel for its "indiscriminate bombing" of Gaza Strip, while calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

"The leaders of the GCC countries warned of the dangers of expanding confrontations and the spread of the conflict to other regions in the Middle East, unless the Israeli aggression stops," said the Doha Declaration adopted by the 44th session of the GCC Supreme Council held in the Qatari capital of Doha.

It warned that the region is facing dangerous challenges as Israel's indiscriminate bombing of Gaza has led to an escalation of the violent situation.

The declaration also called for achieving a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire and ensuring the entry of all humanitarian aid supplies into Gaza.

Leaders or representatives of the six GCC countries, along with the invited guest, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, attended the summit.