FILE. Missile attacks on Gaza are continuing. © UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

The head of the United Nations Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has reported an UNRWA school being used as a shelter was struck, resulting in the deaths of at least six people, while dozens were injured, including UNRWA staff. The school also suffered severe structural damage in the attack.

Lazzarini made the report at the al-Maghazi camp in the middle region of the embattled Gaza Strip on Monday afternoon, local time.

Lazzarini expressed outrage at the incident, stating, "The numbers are likely to be higher. This is outrageous, and it again shows a flagrant disregard for the lives of civilians."

The UNRWA school had become a refuge for approximately 4,000 people who had nowhere else to go. The agency had been providing the coordinates of its facilities to relevant parties on a daily basis, emphasizing the protected status of these sites.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) issued a fresh alert on Tuesday concerning civilians in northern Gaza, as military operations continue in anticipation of a full-scale Israeli response to Hamas's October 7 attack.

Over the past ten days of conflict, an alarming toll has been taken on the people of Gaza, with over 4,200 lives lost, more than one million individuals forced to flee their homes following Israeli authorities' orders, and large areas of the Gaza Strip reduced to rubble. The OHCHR characterized the situation as an "utter catastrophe."

In New York, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya, briefed Member States on the Gaza crisis, emphasizing the critical need to restore essential supplies and services as every passing hour makes the situation more dire. The UN remains committed to finding urgent solutions for delivering aid into Gaza.

The OHCHR expressed grave concerns about the fate of civilians in the coming days, as military operations persist, a siege on Gaza impacts essential supplies, and daily violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law are reported.

To address the escalating crisis, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is scheduled to travel to Cairo, Egypt, to engage with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi on the Gaza situation. In southern Gaza, where a humanitarian emergency is already unfolding, UN relief agencies have reiterated their call for a secure and reliable humanitarian corridor to deliver stockpiled aid to the Occupied Territory.

Both Egypt and Israel have faced numerous calls from the UN and the international community to protect non-combatants affected by the ongoing conflict.

"We call for unimpeded access and safe passage for desperately needed humanitarian supplies to Gaza," said Abeer Etefa, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Communications Lead for the Middle East and North Africa. The WFP has already mobilized significant food supplies to feed hundreds of thousands of people in need.

The OHCHR reports that a significant number of women and children are among the casualties in Gaza, along with Palestinian journalists, medical staff, and UN colleagues. Many bodies may still be buried under the rubble.

In addition to the attacks on civilian infrastructure, healthcare facilities have also been targeted, raising concerns about medical care for the injured, including pregnant women and those with chronic health issues.

Civilians attempting to relocate to southern Gaza have been struck and killed by explosive weapons.

The United Nations has called for an immediate humanitarian pause to facilitate aid delivery and prevent further suffering.