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The humanitarian pause, agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, was largely maintained on 27 November for the fourth consecutive day. It has enabled humanitarian actors, primarily the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies and UN agencies, to enhance the delivery of assistance into and across Gaza. To enable addressing the immense scope of needs, aid groups have called for the immediate re-opening of more crossing points, including for the entry of commercial goods.
On 27 November, dozens of UNRWA and Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) aid trucks reached areas north of Wadi Gaza (hereafter: the north). The assistance included medical supplies, ready-to-eat food, wheat flour, bottled water, tents and blankets, which were delivered to four UNRWA shelters and three main warehouses for subsequent distribution. The aid also included small amounts of fuel delivered to water production facilities, towards their reactivation following the completion of repairs. Prior to the pause, the north had been largely inaccessible, and residents remaining there have faced a dire humanitarian situation.
Aid distribution in areas south of Wadi Gaza (hereafter: the south), where the bulk of an estimated 1.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are currently staying, also continued. UNRWA has continued distributing wheat flour to IDPs in and outside shelters. Key service providers, including hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, and IDP shelters, have continued receiving fuel on a daily basis enabling their operation.
On 27 November, 11 Israeli hostages held in Gaza and 33 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons were released. The freed hostages included two women and nine children. Among the Palestinian detainees were 30 boys and three women. Since the start of the pause, 150 Palestinians, 51 Israelis, and 18 foreign nationals have been released.
Humanitarian partners have increased efforts to educate people about the dangers of unexploded ordnance. This includes training of trainers, holding in-person information sessions for IDPs in shelters, sharing posters and sending text messages. These actions have become more urgent with the ongoing pause, because more people are now moving through areas that might be contaminated.
On 27 November, the UN Secretary-General called for “a full humanitarian ceasefire, for the benefit of the people of Gaza, Israel and the wider region,” alongside the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining hostages. He also commended the Governments of Qatar, Egypt and the United States for facilitating the current pause, recognizing the critical role of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
A logistics team from the Egyptian Red Crescent Society in Al Arish airport, Egypt, organizing and preparing humanitarian aid for transport into Gaza. Photo by the Egyptian Red Crescent Society
According to experts who conducted the research, Israel specifically targets power plants, water purification systems and water resources in Gaza, and as a result, untreated or partially treated sewage water is discharged directly into the Mediterranean Sea, posing serious threats to public health.
While the World Health Organization (WHO) noted the lower limit of water per person per day is 100 liters (26 gallons), the figure drops to 45 liters in Gaza, 50 in Jerusalem and the West Bank and 20 in some areas under Israeli control.
The average Israeli consumes 369.5 liters of water per day. As a result, 660,000 Palestinians living in Jerusalem and the West Bank have insufficient access to water, while 1 million in Gaza suffer from water scarcity.
…the Israeli government has built a dam on the eastern border of Gaza. They suddenly open the dam, causing the agricultural lands to be flooded. This causes destruction to a large part of the agricultural lands and crops in Gaza. The climate crisis is not only natural but also political in Palestine.
The humanitarian pause, agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, which took effect on 24 November, has been largely maintained for the third consecutive day. This pause has enabled the UN to enhance the delivery of assistance into and across Gaza.
On 26 November, aid convoys reached areas north of Wadi Gaza (hereafter: the north). UN agencies and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) distributed 1,062 metric tonnes (MT) of ready-to-eat food to four UNRWA shelters in Jabalia camp; 185 MT of tents and blankets and 890 MT of bottled water to various sites; as well as 164 MT of medical supplies to Al Ahli hospital in Gaza city. The convoys were carefully inspected by Israeli forces deployed at a checkpoint near Wadi Gaza before proceeding northwards.
The mission that reached Al Ahli Baptist Hospital evacuated at least 17 patients and wounded people, along with 11 of their companions, to the European Hospital in Khan Younis (in the south). Despite enormous shortages and constraints, Al Ahli remains operational and admitting patients.
Aid distribution in areas south of Wadi Gaza, where the bulk of an estimated 1.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are currently staying, has been accelerated over the past three days. Key service providers, including hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, and IDP shelters, have continued receiving fuel on a daily basis to operate generators.
Over the past three days, cooking gas has entered Gaza, contrary to the time before the pause. However, the amounts fall well below the needs. Queues at a filling station in Khan Younis have reportedly extended for about 2 kilometres, with people waiting at them overnight. Meanwhile, reports indicate that people are burning doors and window frames to cook.
On 26 November, 17 hostages held in Gaza and 39 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons were released. The released hostages included 13 Israelis – four women and nine children – and four foreign nationals. Among the Palestinian detainees were 39 boys. Since the start of the pause, 39 Israelis, 117 Palestinians and 19 foreign nationals have been released.
Between 25 and 26 November, Israeli forces in the West Bank killed seven Palestinians, including four children, bringing to 230 the Palestinian death toll since 7 October; 222 by Israeli forces and eight by settlers.
UN staff collect and transport vaccines from Gaza city to southern Gaza, where they can be refrigerated, 26 November 2023. Photo by WHO
