The United Nations said living conditions in Yarmouk "are far better" than they are in other refugee camps in Syria.

There are more than 486,000 Palestinian refugees living in nine official and three unofficial camps across Syria, the United Nations said.

Most of the Palestinian refugees who fled to Syria amid the founding of Israel in 1948 were from the northern part of the area -- mainly Safed and the cities of Haifa and Jaffa, the United Nations said. Palestinian refugees were among those who fled from the Golan Heights to other parts of Syria after Israel occupied that area in the Six Day War in 1967.

Rebels intent on overthrowing al-Assad's government are working to seize ground in and near Damascus. More than 40,000 people have been killed in 21 months of conflict.

At least 150 people were killed across the country Sunday, the LCC said.

Opposition groups also said rebels and regime forces battled near a hospital in the Hama province town of Halfaya. Twenty-five people died there, the LCC said.