Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel Flash Update #39 Nov 14
Forty patients died in Shifa hospital on 14 November, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza. The hospital reported preparations for a mass grave inside the compound to burry 180 bodies of patients, which cannot be evacuated due to the intense fighting.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed eight Palestinians over the past 24 hours, bringing the fatality toll among Palestinians since 7 October to 182, including 46 children.
Active ground operations in the heart of Gaza city and near the hospitals, along with the lack of fuel, have halted the movement of rescue teams and ambulances in those areas. Multiple appeals by stranded households and family members underneath struck buildings, including their own homes, have gone unanswered. According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), hundreds of calls have been received at the PRCS emergency number from besieged Palestinians in Gaza city, urgently requesting ambulances for the wounded, evacuation for trapped families, and assistance for those under rubble. Many of these calls for help have gone unanswered due to lack of fuel and insecurity.
Over 1.5 million people in Gaza are estimated to be internally displaced, including about 787,000 IDPs who are staying in at least 154 UNRWA shelters. UNRWA shelters are accommodating far more people than their intended capacity. Overcrowding is leading to the spread of diseases, including acute respiratory illness and diarrhea, raising environmental and health concerns, and limiting the Agency’s ability to deliver effective and timely services.
See the live IDP dashboard for the latest figures and more breakdowns.
Read the full report: Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel Flash Update #39
“In Gaza city, it was difficult to secure water and food,“ a displaced Palestinian told OCHA upon arrival to the southern area on 14 November. ”When available, food is very expensive.“ Photo of a displaced family in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Source: WHO, 1 November 2023
From our friend Nidal, director of 1for3
Dear Friends,
It has been another brutal week, and we mourn the terrifying loss of life that we encounter this fall of 2023, a season of violence that transforms a land I love and that I know I will remember forever.
Especially now, I am writing with my deepest gratitude for your support of 1for3 and our work with Palestinian refugees in the West Bank. It means the world during this difficult time.
Our kindergarten is continuing to be a safe space for children. Our students are attending classes and finding a playful refuge from the news and the world around them for a few hours a day. The produce in our rooftop garden keeps growing, and our teams bring healthy food to those in need. Our health program delivers physical and mental health care to the sick. The people that make these actions possible are amazing. We are so fortunate to work with them. I wake up each day thinking of our team members' safety.
Since October 7, thousands have been killed and wounded, and over a million Palestinians have faced forced displacement. In the West Bank, where our programs are located, Israeli military and settler violence has resulted in deaths, injuries, and arrests without charge. We are just beginning to mourn a teenager killed on his rooftop in Aida Camp early on the morning of November 10, Mohammad 'Azziyya, whose mother is a patient in our community health care program. We will write more about his family in coming communications.
We started with 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7th, at least 845 of whom are civilians and 31 children, and around 239 hostages. After 37 days, over 11 thousand Palestinians have been killed, 68% of whom are women and children. At least 2,650 are missing including 1,400 children. 1.5 million Palestinians are internally displaced. In the West Bank, 167 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, including 45 children. Between November 8-9, 18 Palestinians were killed including 1 child. 8 Palestinians including 1 child have been killed by settlers. 3 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank. [OCHA]
In addition, thousands have been arrested by the Israeli military and incarcerated without trial. At least 40 have been detained without trial from the UN-run Aida refugee camp, the location of our main program partner, the Lajee Center.
How many more before a ceasefire comes into an effect? For many Palestinians it seems as if the world has lost its humanity. For us, we need to do whatever we can to keep the pressure and at the same time, to show Palestinians that they are not alone. I find strength and an impetus to continue in the words of Ahmed Abu Artema, a Palestinian activist who led the Great March of Return in 2018. He lost his son and his home two weeks ago in Gaza, and he was badly injured in the same air strike. As he wrote on Facebook. “Deep respect to the millions who raised their voices in the U.S, Europe, and all over the world. Free people are our hope for a world with justice.”
In solidarity, and with hope,
Nidal
Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel Flash Update #38. Nov 13
The Israeli military continued calling and exerting pressure on residents of the north to move southwards. An estimated 200,000 have moved since 5 November through a “corridor” opened by the Israeli military, according to OCHA monitoring. Overcrowding and limited access to shelter, food and water, in the south, are of increasing concern.
UN offices globally lowered flags to half-mast on 13 November, mourning the loss of 102 UNRWA staff killed since the start of the escalation of hostilities in Gaza. This is the highest death toll among UN staff in such a short period in the history of the UN.
Since 11 October, the Gaza Strip has been under an electricity blackout, following Israel’s shutting off the electricity supply and the depletion of fuel reserves for Gaza’s sole power plant. The entry of fuel, which is desperately needed to operate electricity generators to run life-saving equipment, remains banned by the Israeli authorities.
Read the full report: Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel Flash Update #38
Aid distribution in an UNRWA facility hosting displaced Palestinian families. Screenshot from a video by UNICEF
