Geneva:

More than 423,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said, following heavy Israeli bombardments in retaliation for Hamas’s attacks.

As of late Thursday, the number of displaced in Gaza rose by 84,444 people to reach 423,378, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in a statement sent on Friday.

The announcement came as Israel pounded the Gaza Strip in response to Saturday’s surprise attack, the deadliest since the country’s creation in 1948.

Hamas gunmen swept into small towns, kibbutzim and a music festival in the desert, indiscriminately killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 150 hostages into Gaza.

Israel has retaliated by raining air and artillery strikes on Gaza — — a densely populated enclave of 2.3 million people, flattening buildings and killing more than 1,400 people.

Israel has also prepared for a possible ground invasion of the Palestinian territory.

“Heavy Israeli bombardments, from the air, sea and land, have continued almost uninterrupted,” OCHA said in its update.

“Multiple residential buildings in densely populated areas have been targeted and destroyed during the past 24 hours.”

It said more than 270,000 people — two-thirds of the displaced — have sought shelter in schools run by the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

Another nearly 27,000 people had fled to schools run by the Palestinian Authority, while more than 153,000 people found shelter with relatives and neighbours and in other public facilities.

OCHA said that around 3,000 people had already been displaced within the enclave prior to Saturday’s attack.

The bombing campaign has destroyed 752 residential and non-residential buildings, comprising 2,835 housing units, OCHA said, citing numbers from the Gaza Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

Another nearly 1,800 housing units have been damaged beyond repair and rendered uninhabitable, it said.

The UN agency also voiced alarm at the significant destruction of civilian infrastructure damaged in the shelling.

At least 90 educational facilities, including 20 UNRWA schools and 70 schools run by the Palestinian Authority, have also been struck and damaged, with one of the schools completely destroyed.

“Eleven mosques were targeted and destroyed, while seven churches and mosques sustained damage,” OCHA said.

Water and sanitation facilities have been also hit, it said, adding that since the hostilities began, six water wells, three water pumping stations, one water reservoir, and one desalination plant serving more than 1,100,000 people were damaged by air strikes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Over a thousand killed, buildings destroyed and entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble – the war in Israel between security forces and Hamas group operatives has had global implications. 

Many countries, including the US, UK, France and Germany, have heightened security around “potential Jewish targets” and “pro-Palestinian protesters”.

Here’s how the war has impacted security around the world: 

United States

Cities across the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Houston, heightened security around synagogues in response to a Palestinian solidarity rally in Manhattan on Sunday. A thousand demonstrators gathered in solidarity with Palestinians, while a few hundred pro-Israel protesters counter-demonstrated.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul denounced the Palestinian solidarity rally as “despicable and morally reprehensible” and directed state landmarks, including the World Trade Center and Niagara Falls, to be illuminated in blue and white – the colours of the Isreli flag. 

United Kingdom

The Scotland Yard has stepped up patrols across London in response to several incidents on social media related to the ongoing conflict in Israel.

The Metropolitan Police condemned the “glorification” of Hamas’s terrorist activities and warned against hate crimes in a statement on Saturday night, following one of the biggest escalations of conflict in the Middle East in decades.

“We are aware of a number of incidents, including those that have been shared on social media, in relation to the ongoing conflict in Israel and the border with Gaza,” the Met Police said in a statement.

“The Met has increased policing patrols across parts of London in order to provide a visible presence and reassurance to our communities. We remain in contact with partners and community leaders to listen to any concerns,” it added.

France

In France, security at synagogues in the cities of Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Strasbourg had been heightened since late September due to religious holidays.

French authorities ramped up security at Jewish temples and schools across the country, after a Jewish leader warned that the conflict could spill over the country.

France has the largest Jewish population in Europe and the third-largest in the world, with an estimated 500,000 people.French authorities announced that a pro-Palestinian rally scheduled for Monday evening in Lyon would be banned due to the potential for public disorder.

Germany

Germany increased police security at Jewish and Israeli institutions after Palestinian supporters celebrated the attack in the streets of Berlin. The Berlin police shared photos on social media of people celebrating Israel’s attacks with sweet gestures.

German authorities have said they are closely monitoring “potential Hamas supporters” in Islamist circles.

“In Berlin, police protection has been immediately stepped up,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told Bild newspaper. “The federal government and the regions are closely coordinating their actions.”

Canada

Thousands of people in Montreal rallied in support of the Palestinian people on Saturday, holding “free Palestine” posters, waving Palestinian flags, and calling for boycotting Israel.

The Canadian police have stepped up security cover in sensitive areas, especially around synagogues. 

“We are also reaching out to community partners to ensure they know we are here to support them,” an Ottawa Police statement said. “Hate Crimes will not be tolerated and will be fully investigated.”

Middle East 

In Iran, large crowds gathered in major cities, such as Palestine Square in Tehran, waving Palestinian flags and cheering Hamas’s offensive, which they called “Al-Aqsa Flood.” Some billboards in the capital even proclaimed, “The great liberation operation has begun.”

In Lebanon, Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shi’ite group, held a rally in Beirut to express support for Hamas. During the rally, participants chanted “Death to Israel.” Hezbollah also claimed to have fired on Israeli positions in the contested Shebaa Farms border area.

In Iraq, pro-Palestinian protests erupted, with demonstrators burning Israeli flags and chanting anti-American slogans. The demonstrators stamped on and set fire to Israeli flags chanting “No to America, No to Israel”.