Visualizing Palestine

via Visualizing Palestine:

A four-day “humanitarian pause” is currently underway. We are well aware that this pause means a slower rate of genocide of Palestinians.

Over the coming four days, Israel is only allowing between 300-400 trucks of essential supplies to enter Gaza per day, and will continue to cut off electricity and running water from Gaza. Additionally, the Israeli military continues to be stationed in the north of Gaza, and is shooting towards any Palestinians attempting to return to their homes. Earlier today, two Palestinians attempting to make their way back to their homes were killed by Israeli fire.

Four days of pause in Israeli bombing are not enough to even clear the rubble that has entrapped thousands of bodies underneath, and to begin to address the unfolding public health crisis, and the impact of Israel’s atrocities on the mental health of Palestinains in Gaza. Four days of pause are not enough when we know that Israel will resume its mass killing, mass displacement campaign against Palestinians when the pause is over. We demand a permanent ceasefire now, and an end to Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip.

Head to this link to take action:

bit.ly/take-action-gaza

From VISUALIZING PALESTINE

Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #47

On 22 November, 190 wounded and sick people, their companions, and a number of medical teams from Shifa hospital, in Gaza city, were evacuated in an ambulance convoy to the south, in coordination with UN and humanitarian agencies. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that, the evacuation lasted for almost 20 hours as the convoy was obstructed and subjected to inspection while passing through the checkpoint that separates northern and southern Gaza, “hence putting the lives of the wounded and sick people in danger.” Some 250 patients and staff members are estimated to remain at Shifa, which is no longer operational.  

According to the Gaza Media Office, as of 14:00 on 22 November, more than 14,500 people have been killed in Gaza, including about 6,000 children and 4,000 women. This office, which is under the local authorities in Gaza, has assumed MoH’s (Ministry of Health) role after the latter stopped updating fatality tolls. 

On 22 November, the Israeli military continued calling and exerting pressure on residents of the north to leave southwards through a “corridor” along the main traffic artery, Salah Ad Deen Road, between 9:00 and 16:00. OCHA’s monitoring estimated that 250 people had moved south, the lowest volume of people documented since the “corridor” was opened. The decline is largely attributed to the expectations generated by the humanitarian pause to be implemented from 23 November.  

Israeli forces have been arresting some people moving through the “corridor.” IDPs interviewed by OCHA reported that Israeli forces had established an unstaffed checkpoint where people are directed from a distance to pass through two structures, where a surveillance system is thought to be installed. IDPs are ordered to show their IDs and undergo what appears to be a facial recognition scan.  

One man interviewed by OCHA reported that his wife had been detained and forced to hand over their baby to him. The monitoring team has documented a few similar cases over the past few weeks, including instances where a mother was ordered to leave her baby with strangers. 

Read the full report: Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #47

On 22 November, 190 wounded and sick people, their companions, and medical teams from Shifa Hospital were evacuated to southern Gaza. The convoy was subjected to hours-long inspection process on the way, jeopardizing the health of the patients. Photo: A previous medical evacuation convoy on 19 November. Photo by WHO 

Finally, some good news!

Reuters reports that the Israeli Prime Minister’s office has announced that the deal, which has been approved by the cabinet, will see the release of 50 hostages, women and children, over four days, during which there will be pause in fighting. Groups of 12-13 hostages will be released per day, the Times of Israel reports.

The Times of Israel also reports that there may be 30 more hostages released and that the pause in fighting could be extended “by a day for each group of 10 more Israeli hostages”.

Earlier, Israeli media, including Channel 12 news, reported that if the deal was approved, the first release of hostages is expected on Thursday.

The delay is because if the deal is agreed to, there must be a 24-hour waiting period before it is implemented, to give Israeli citizens the chance to ask the Supreme Court to block the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to reports in Israeli media.

Read the article from The Guardian

Diseases spread in Gaza amid water and sewage crisis, cholera feared

Gastrointestinal diseases and respiratory and skin infections are rising amid Israel war, UN agencies say.

Sixty-year-old Samir Asaad, from Deir el-Balah camp, suffers from high blood pressure, which is exacerbated by drinking salty water. “I heat up the water over a fire to drink it so I don’t feel its saltiness,” he said.

“They are killing us from thirst or forcing us to drink any water so that we die anyway,” he said, referring to the Israeli siege on Gaza.

Humanitarian officials are calling for more aid to enter Gaza. The World Food Programme warned on Thursday that supplies of food and water were almost non-existent in Gaza and that civilians were facing the immediate possibility of dehydration and starvation.”

Read this report from Aljazeera: Diseases spread in Gaza amid water and sewage crisis, cholera feared