Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #27

KEY POINTS

• For the second consecutive day, on 2 November, the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened for the movement of people, allowing the evacuation of about 60 wounded Palestinians to an Egyptian field hospital, alongside some 400 foreign passport holders. The Erez crossing with Israel remains closed.  
• Israeli ground operations in northern Gaza and Gaza city, alongside intense bombardments, continued. Between 1 November (noon) and 2 November (14:00), 256 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, bringing the reported fatality toll since the start of the hostilities to 9,061, of whom about two-thirds are children and women, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza. On 2 November, two Israeli soldiers were reportedly killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since the start of ground operations to 17. 

• On 2 November, the MoH reported that the main electricity generator of the Indonesian Hospital, in northern Gaza, had ceased to operate due to lack of fuel. This hospital has been receiving hundreds of people injured during the recent hostilities in Jabalia camp. Exposing hundreds of patients with serious injuries to imminent risk of death or lifelong disabilities. Shifa Hospital in Gaza city is reportedly almost out of fuel. Since the start of hostilities, 14 out of 35 hospitals with inpatient capacities are not functioning and 51 (71 per cent) of all primary care facilities across Gaza (72) are not functioning due to damage or lack of fuel.
• On 2 November, 102 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing. This is the largest convoy since delivery of aid resumed on 21 October, bringing the total number of trucks that entered to 374 The entry of fuel, which is desperately needed to operate life-saving equipment, remains banned by the Israeli authorities. Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, which prior to the hostilities was the main entry point for goods, remains closed. The available aid remains insufficient to cover people’s basic needs. 
• As of 2 November, nearly 1.5 million people in Gaza were internally displaced, with over 690,400 sheltering in 149 UNRWA facilities. In recent days, tens of thousands of IDPs, who were previously staying with host families, have relocated into public shelters, seeking food and basic services. This has increased pressure on already overcrowded shelters. The average number of IDPs per UNRWA shelter is nearly four times their intended capacity. 
• On 2 November, four UNRWA shelters hosting nearly 20,000 IDPs were hit; as a result, at least 23 people were killed, and dozens were injured. Since the start of hostilities, nearly 50 UNRWA facilities have been damaged and 72 staff have been killed. 
• The operation of water wells and desalination plants in the southern half of Gaza stopped almost completely on 2 November, after their fuel reserves had been exhausted. Only one of three water pipelines supplying water from Israel is active. There is not enough clarity on access of people to water in northern Gaza. 
• Indiscriminate rocket firing by Palestinian armed groups towards Israeli population centres continued over the past 24 hours, with no fatalities reported. Overall, about 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, according to the Israeli authorities, the vast majority on 7 October.  
• According to the Israeli authorities, 242 people are held captive in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals. Media reports indicate that about 30 of the hostages are children. So far, four civilian hostages were released by Hamas, and one female Israeli soldier was rescued by Israeli forces. On 1 November, Hamas claimed that seven hostages had been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Jabalia Refugee Camp. This follows their earlier claim that another 50 hostages had been killed in similar circumstances. 
• In the West Bank, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, including one child, and another one died from wounds sustained previously, between the afternoon of 1 November and noontime on 2 November. An Israeli settler was killed in a drive-by shooting attack near Tulkarm, reportedly by Palestinians. The total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers since 7 October has reached 132, including 41 children, alongside two Israelis killed by Palestinians. 
• Between 1 and 2 November, Israeli forces arrested at least 135 Palestinians, including two women, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, bringing the total number of those arrested since 7 October to at least 1,900, according to Palestinian sources. UN’s Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has received consistent and credible reports of widespread cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees. Two Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody since 7 October. 

Gaza Humanitarian Overview

Hostilities and Casualties

According to the Israeli military, infantry and armoured forces continued their ground operations in and around Gaza city and northern Gaza, amid intense clashes with Palestinian armed groups. Heavy shelling and airstrikes continued, primarily in the northern area. 

At least 195 Palestinian were killed and about 800 injured in less than 24 hours between 31 October and 1 November, in two rounds of Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia Refugee Camp, in northern Gaza, according to the MoH in Gaza. Some 120 people were believed to be trapped under the rubble by midnight on 1 November. The Israeli military stated that the two attacks had targeted buildings where members of armed groups, including a senior Hamas commander, were hiding. OHCHR has expressed serious concerns about these attacks. 

On 2 November, also in the Jabalia Refugee Camp, an UNRWA school sheltering thousands of IDPs was hit; as a result, at least 20 people were reportedly killed and five were injured. Another UNRWA shelter at Beach Refugee Camp, also in northern Gaza, was hit, with one child reportedly killed. In the Al Bureij Refugee Camp, south of Wadi Gaza, two UNRWA shelters were hit, reportedly killing two people and injuring over thirty.  

Since 7 October, 9,061 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 3,760 children and 2,326 women, and about 22,911 have been injured, according to the MoH in Gaza.  

Rescue teams, primarily from the Palestinian Civil Defense, are struggling to carry out their missions, amid continuous airstrikes, severe shortage of fuel to run vehicles and equipment. This is particularly concerning as thousands are estimated to be trapped under rubble. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced that, due to the lack of fuel, it had been forced to reduce the number of ambulances it operates.  

According to the MoH in Gaza, over two thirds of the fatalities were killed in their homes. Relatedly, as of 26 October, a total of 192 Palestinian families had lost ten or more of their members, 136 Palestinian families had lost six to nine members, and 444 families had lost two to five of their members, the Ministry says.  

As of 2 November, 246 school buildings have been hit, including one destroyed and  51 severely damaged. 

On 31 October, the Committee to Protect Journalists indicated that 31 journalists had been killed thus far since the start of the hostilities, including 26 Palestinians, four Israelis and one Lebanese. 

According to Israeli sources, at least 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, and at least 5,400 have been injured, the vast majority on 7 October. Since Israeli forces began their ground assault, 17 Israeli soldiers have reportedly been killed in Gaza. Israeli media reported that, as of 31 October, the names of 1,159 of these fatalities have been released, including 828 civilians and police, and 331 soldiers. Of those whose ages have been provided, 31 are children. 

Displacement

The cumulative number of IDPs since the start of hostilities in Gaza is estimated neatly 1.5 million. This figure includes nearly 690,400 people staying in 149 UNRWA facilities, 121,750 sheltering in hospitals, churches, and other public buildings, and about 99,150 in 82 non-UNRWA schools. The remaining 550,000-600,000 IDPs are residing with host families, with as many as 150,000 having relocated to shelters in the past few days, seeking food and basic services. 

An estimated 160,000 IDPs are housed in 57 UNRWA facilities in the north and in Gaza city. UNRWA, however, is no longer able to provide services in those areas and does not have accurate information on their needs and conditions since the evacuation order from the Israeli authorities on 13 October. 

The average number of IDPs per shelter in UNRWA facilities has reached almost four times their intended capacity. This means that, in some shelters, up to 240 people are living in a classroom of about 40 to 60 square metres. The Khan Younis Training Centre is currently the most crowded shelter, hosting 22,100 IDPs, more than ten times its capacity. 

Poor sanitation conditions and consumption of unsafe water among displaced people raise serious concerns about potential public health risks; reports indicate increasing cases of upper respiratory infections, and skin and diarrheal diseases among IDPs. 

Over 15 per cent of the IDPs are estimated to have disabilities, yet most shelters are not adequately equipped for their needs. Shelters lack the required medical mattresses and beds, causing ulcers for people unable to move and other medical issues that cannot be treated in unsterilized conditions. In recent days, UNRWA, in cooperation with the ‘Humanity and Inclusion’ NGO, has provided 2,600 persons with disabilities, injured people, children and the elderly with hygiene kits, assistive devices, eyeglasses, first aid kits and baby kits. 

In Israel, hundreds of thousands of people residing near the Gaza Strip, as well as along the border with Lebanon, have fled or been evacuated, with the Israeli authorities providing for the needs of these IDPs (this report focuses on the humanitarian situation in Gaza). 

Basic services and livelihoods

Electricity

Since 11 October, Gaza has been under a full electricity blackout, following Israel’s halt of its electricity and fuel supply to Gaza, which in turn triggered the shutdown of Gaza’s sole power plant. This has forced essential service infrastructure to rely on backup generators, which are limited by the scarcity of fuel in the Strip. Goods entering Gaza since 21 October through the Rafah crossing have not included fuel.  

Health care

Following the shutdown of services due to lack of fuel and electricity in the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital, the MoH in Gaza stated that Shifa Hospital in Gaza city and the Indonesian Hospital, in Beit Lahiya, were almost out of fuel, and appealed to the international community and locals in assisting with providing fuel. They warned that 42 children under life support devices, 62 wounded using respiration equipment and 650 patients with kidney failure were at the highest risk, should the electricity cut off. 

Currently, 14 out of 35 hospitals with inpatient capacities are not functioning, in addition to two outpatient specialist centres. Additionally, 51 (71 per cent) of all primary care facilities across Gaza (72) are not functioning, including 74 per cent of those located in Gaza city and 92 per cent of those in northern Gaza. 

Nine UNRWA health centres are still operational in the South and recorded 4,400 patient visits on 31 October, including refugees and non-refugees. Healthcare services in UNRWA shelters were maintained with the support of 92 mobile medical units and medical teams, serving 9,800 patients at shelters on 31 October. 

All operating hospitals and clinics are affected by severe fuel shortages, leading to stringent rationing and limited use of generators for only the most essential functions. Moreover, maintaining and repairing backup generators, originally not intended for continuous operation, is growing increasingly challenging due to the scarcity of spare parts. 

Health partners have documented an increase in cases of skin and diarrheal diseases among IDPs in shelters due to the inadequate access to water and sanitation services. Upper respiratory infections are also on the rise due to the overcrowding and poor living conditions within the shelters, especially as the temperatures have started to drop.  

The ongoing hostilities have displaced most of the medical professionals in Gaza, forcing the hospitals to operate with less than one-third of their normal staffing levels, according to MoH in Gaza.  

Of the 102 trucks that entered Gaza through the Rafah Crossing on 2 November, at least 25 carried medical supplies. Overall, at least 103 out of the 374 trucks that have entered since 21 October, carried medical supplies. 

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)

Some 120 public wells and one desalination plant in the Middle and southern area of the Gaza Strip reportedly shut down on 2 November, after depleting their fuel reserves. The other desalination plant that was active reduced its production to a minimum level and is providing only for water trucking distribution. The last fuel delivery to these facilities by UNRWA and UNICEF took place on 29 October.  

Only one out of the three water supply lines from Israel, servicing the Middle Area, is currently operational providing some 500 cubic metres of drinking water per hour to Nuseirat, Bureij, Maghazi, and Zawaida areas. Supply from Israel to western Khan Younis, which stopped on 30 October for unclear reasons, was not restored. This line previously supplied 600 cubic metres of drinking water per hour. The third pipeline from Israel to northern Gaza remains also closed since 8 October. 

As a result, WASH partners estimate that water consumption has dropped from 25 to only five liters per day per capita. Except for some households in the Middle Area connected to the network, most people rely on water trucking and bottled water provided as assistance.  

On 2 November, three trucks out of the aid convoy carried about 100,000 litres of water, which will cover the drinking water needs for some 20,000 people for one day and is set to be distributed among the IDP centres in the south of Gaza. Overall, out of the 374 trucks that have entered Gaza since 21 October, at least 26 carried drinking water (jerrycans and bottles), water tanks, water purification equipment, and hygiene kits.  

Food security

Of the trucks that entered Gaza on 2 November through Rafah, 54 carried food items, including ready-to-eat options like canned tuna, canned meat, and other non-perishables. In total, out of the trucks that have entered since 21 October, more than 150 have transported food.  

These food supplies are primarily distributed to IDPs and host families, with only flour being provided to bakeries. Food assistance covers about 10 per cent of the minimum caloric intake requirement, according to the Food Security Sector.   

WFP estimates that current stocks of essential food commodities in the market are sufficient for about seven more days. However, at the shop level, the available stock is expected to last for five days. Retailers are facing significant challenges when restocking from wholesalers due to widespread destruction and lack of security. 

As of 2 November, only one of the bakeries contracted by WFP and eight local bakeries in the southern and Middle areas have been intermittently providing bread to shelters and IDPs, depending on the daily availability of flour. UNRWA has been supplying flour to these local bakeries to offer bread at half the cost. However, UNRWA reports that the available wheat stocks will only last for another five to six days before being depleted. The shortage of fuel is the primary obstacle preventing these bakeries from meeting local demand, and there is also a shortage of clean water required for utilizing the available flour in bread production, further hindering bakery operations. 

Eleven bakeries have been struck and destroyed since 7 October (six in Gaza city, two in Jabalia, two in the Middle Area and one in Khan Younis). As a result, people are struggling to obtain bread. Hours-long queues are reported in front of bakeries, where people are exposed to airstrikes. 

Telecommunications 

After being cut at around 03:00 on 1 November, Gaza’s telecommunication and internet services were gradually restored after almost nine hours of blackout. Ambulances and Civil Defense teams were unable to locate the injured, as thousands of people were estimated to be still under the rubble. Civilians were unable to receive updated information on where they can access humanitarian relief and where they may move to be in lesser danger. 

Since the escalation of hostilities, the Gaza Strip has experienced a significant reduction in internet access. Sixty per cent of electric boxes and remote switches are out of service, 65 per cent of households and businesses have lost access to the network and 36 per cent of local fiber routes have been lost due to fiber cuts affecting both fixed and mobile networks. Almost half of local networks were damaged as well, which includes street poles, cables, and fiber trenches. 

The mobile company Jawwal, which serves over 85 per cent of Gaza’s residents, has lost 65 per cent of its radio sites. 

Humanitarian operations

All humanitarian agencies and personnel have faced significant constraints in providing humanitarian assistance, due to ongoing hostilities, movement restrictions and shortages of electricity, fuel, water, medicines, and other essential items. Humanitarian partners cannot safely access people in need and warehouses where aid supplies are stored. 

Additionally, the dramatic shutdown in internet connectivity has hindered efforts to monitor, document and report, including possible violations and abuses of international humanitarian and human rights law. 

Despite these challenges, humanitarian actors are working around the clock to support the most vulnerable. The major operation entails the hosting of IDPs in UNRWA schools, where basic food, medicine and support is provided to retain dignity and a glimmer of hope. Other interventions include the distribution of food and cash assistance to IDPs and emergency fuel to WASH facilities, psychosocial support helplines, and a mass media campaign to raise awareness about the risks of unexploded ordnance (for further detail, see Humanitarian Needs and Responses). 

West Bank Humanitarian Overview

Casualties

In the West Bank, between the afternoon of 1 November and 21:00 on 2 November, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, including one child; another child died from wounds sustained previously. This brings the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers since 7 October to 132, including 41 children. Of these, 124 people, including 40 children, were killed by Israeli forces; and eight, including one child, by Israeli settlers. One member of Israeli forces was killed by Palestinians. 

On 2 November, an Israeli settler travelling in a vehicle was killed in a drive-by shooting attack reportedly by Palestinians near Beit Lid (Tulkarm). 

The number of Palestinians killed since 7 October represents more than one third of all Palestinian fatalities in the West Bank so far in 2023 (376). 

On 2 November, in two separate incidents in Qalqilya city and Al Bireh in Ramallah, Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinians, including a 14-year-old child and injured four others, including one child with live ammunition during confrontations over the course of a search-and-arrest operation. On 30 October, Israeli forces shot and injured with live ammunition a 14-year-old child during confrontations over the course of a search-and-arrest operation near Zawata junction in Nablus city; the boy succumbed to his wounds on 2 November, bringing the total number of children killed by Israeli forces since 7 October to 40, half of whom were reported killed during search-and-arrest operations.  

Of the Palestinian fatalities since 7 October, almost 50 per cent were killed during confrontations that followed Israeli search-and-arrest operations, mainly in Jenin and Tulkarm governorates; 35 per cent were in the context of demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza; and most of the remaining 10 per cent were killed while attacking or allegedly attacking Israeli forces or settlers, and in settler attacks against Palestinians.  

Since 7 October, Israeli forces have injured 2,219 Palestinians, including at least 236 children. 62 Palestinians were injured by settlers, including nine with live ammunition. About 1,200 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli forces in the context of demonstrations. Some 27 per cent of those injuries have been caused by live ammunition.  

Settler-related Violence

The already high level of Israeli settler violence recorded during the first nine months of 2023 has sharply increased since the escalation of hostilities. Since 7 October, OCHA has recorded 186 settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in Palestinian casualties (26 incidents), damage to Palestinian property (128 incidents), or both casualties and damage to property (32 incidents). This reflects a daily average of seven incidents, compared with three since the beginning of the year.  

Out of the 186 settler attacks, more than one-third involved threats with firearms, including shooting. Almost half of all incidents involved Israeli forces accompanying or actively supporting the attackers. Many of the latter incidents were followed by confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinians, where three Palestinians were killed, and dozens injured. Affected properties included 25 residential structures, 42 agricultural/animal-related structures, 74 vehicles and more than 670 trees and saplings. 

Displacement

In the past 24 hours, a total of 41 Palestinians were displaced amid settler violence in Hebron.  

On 2 November, eight Palestinian households, comprising 41 members, including 23 children, were displaced from Khirbet Zanuta community in Hebron, after a series of settler attacks including where several residential and animal related structures were vandalized. Additionally, settlers pointed guns at residents, threatening to kill them if they did not leave. Earlier, on 28 October, 24 families, comprising 141 members, including 70 children, left the area along with their livestock.  

Since 7 October, at least 111 households comprising 905 people, including 356 children, have been displaced in this context. The displaced households are from more than 15 herding/Bedouin communities. Seven of these communities had schools which are not accessible anymore; at least three of these schools have been vandalized by Israeli forces and/or settlers and are now at a higher risk of demolition.  

On 21 October, following the forced displacement of Wadi as Seeq Bedouin community, situated in Area C to the northeast of Ramallah, on 11 October, Israeli settlers raided the deserted community and destroyed the belongings left behind, including the donor-funded school structure and school-related properties inside. 

Additionally, since 7 October, 120 Palestinians, including 55 children, have been displaced following demolitions in Area C and East Jerusalem, due to lack of permits, and another 23, including 13 children following punitive demolitions, which target the family homes of perpetrators and alleged perpetrators of fatal attacks against Israelis.  

Detention and ill-treatment 

OHCHR has received a number consistent and credible reports of systematic cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees, and of physical and psychological violence against family members. 

OHCHR documented one of these cases, where a Palestinian man was arrested by Israeli forces on 31 October. A video shows an Israeli soldier kicking the man several times in the stomach and calling him racist names, while the man is kneeled, blindfolded and with hands tied behind his back. During the same arrest operation, Israeli forces damaged the house contents and reportedly threatened the man's family with shooting if they did not cooperate. OHCHR has documented similar cases of beating and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, possibly amounting to torture. 

On 1 November, according to Israeli media, Israeli forces stated that they were investigating the abuses and that one reserve soldier involved had been dismissed from reserve service. OHCHR has documented other similar cases of beating and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, possibly amounting to torture, indicating that such cases are not isolated. 

HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND RESPONSES

Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA)

Priority Needs

• Access to basic needs and services is severely halted by the lack of resources and the security situation. IDPs outside formal shelters have extremely limited access to assistance. Those are prioritized for Emergency MPCA. 
• Banks are temporarily closed, limiting access to cash. The capacities of financial service providers are severely limited and change by the hour (partners currently using PalPay). 
• Depletion of stocked items to be purchased is worsening. 

Response to Date

• Some 17,874 households started receiving Emergency MPCA (NIS754 or $187 per household) as of 26 October. Redemption rates were reported as up to 86 per cent. 

Protection

Priority Needs

• An estimated 20,000 people in need of specialized mental health services, including mental health drugs, who are in precarious situations with the disruption to mental health services. 
• Documentation of violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law. 
• Opening roads, safe access to basic needs, medicines, mental health support, and ambulance services in the West Bank. 

Response to Date

• Some 3,000 IDPs have received psychosocial support and social work intervention services from UNRWA social workers and counsellors since the crisis began. 
• In the West Bank, UNRWA provided psychosocial support services to 155 Palestinian workers from Gaza, in Hebron, Ramallah, and Tulkarm, and to 240 students at Nur Shams Boys’ schools. 
• One partner reached at least 4,000 IDPs in shelters in Gaza and provided psychological first aid (PFA) and needs assessment for non-food items (NFIs) and assistive devices. 
• Partners provided about 700 psychological, social, and legal consultations for gender-based violence (GBV) incidents. Furthermore, 1,144 first psychiatric medical services were provided for GBV cases. 
• UNICEF is leading the mapping of orphanages and shelters which host children with a view to support Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC) registration, to facilitate identification, reunification, and alternative care options at national level (both Gaza and the West Bank). 

Shelter

Priority Needs

• Urgent need to provide services and basic shelter and NFI to IDPs.  
• Provision of NFIs and house maintenance for people displaced in urban centres and with host families. 
• Provision of shelter cash assistance for IDPs (reintegration package and belongings loss compensation) for at least 25,000 families. 

Response to Date

• Some 690,400 IDPs are hosted at 150 UNRWA schools across the Gaza Strip. 
• Distribution of 20,000 NFIs in Rafah and Khan Younis, including bedding sets and dignity kits. 
• Distribution of 820 hygiene kits to displaced families.  
• ICRC/PRCS distributed 15,500 NFIs for displaced families, mainly mattresses and blankets.  

Health

Priority Needs

• Improve the nutritional status, particularly of about 283,000 children under five and pregnant or lactating women, in response to the concerning food security and water situation in Gaza. 
• Ensuring the provision of Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies, including preventive nutrition interventions, cash voucher assistance, curative nutrition interventions, intact nutrition supplies pipeline, and a functional nutrition coordination mechanism. 
• Addressing shortages of medical supplies impacting case management. 
• Fuel supply for hospitals and ambulances. 
• Urgent need to restock medical supplies given depletion of stocks in the local market. 
• Need for short and long-term mental health and psychosocial support services for large numbers of psychologically traumatized people. 
• Access to mobile clinics for 29 communities in Area C locations in Hebron, Jenin and Qalqiliya who have not had access since escalations began. 

Response to Date

• UNRWA continues to provide primary healthcare services in the shelters, through 95 mobile medical units and medical teams.  
• PMRS has eight mobile health teams also providing primary healthcare services to IDPs and expects to increase the number to twelve. 
• Partners are continuing to mobilize resources in Cairo; with support from WHO, the Health Cluster has deployed a logistics team based in Cairo to assist partners with health coordination. 

Food Security

Priority Needs

• Electricity, fuel, and water sources to maintain agriculture. 
• Many shops have food supplies to last less than a week. 
• Safe access to farms, livestock, fisheries, and other livelihoods. 
• Urgent import of fodder. 

Response to Date

• WFP has reached more than 550,000 people with emergency food and cash assistance since the crisis began, most of them IDPs in UNRWA DES. On 1 November, 3,400 displaced persons in host families received food parcels. As of 1 November 23,721, people redeemed WFP’s cash-based transfer assistance in active shops. 
• Oxfam covered 189 households in Gaza governorate.  
• Dan Church Aid (DCA) covered 18,000 households sheltering in UNRWA DES in the Gaza governorate.  
• Islamic Relief Palestine provided food assistance to 10,000 IDPS in non-URWA shelter or with host families. 
• Anera provides hot meals to a total of 120,000 people. Food parcels, 80 per cent to UNRWA DES shelters, 20 per cent to hosting communities and other smaller scale shelters. 2,000 households in North Gaza and 12,000 households in Khan Yunis have already been covered. 10,000 households in the Middle Area are still ongoing. Vegetable baskets to host families and small-scale shelters, for 2,000 IDPs (UN shelter) in Khan Younis and 2,000 IDPs (UN shelter) in Middle Area. Planning food parcels distributed covering 1,000 IDPs in collective shelters and host families. 

Education

Priority Needs

• Safe access to schools and communities.

Planned Responses

• Provision of school-based psychosocial support and recreational activities for at least 70,000 children and school staff to around 20 school shelters.  
• Emergency rehabilitation for at least 20 damaged schools, following a cluster rapid needs assessment. 
• Provision of emergency supplies and learning kits to 10,000 children in DES and 50,000 children in schools once they reopen. 
• Provision of catch-up classes, especially to displaced children (at least 20,000 children). 

WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)

Priority Needs

• Provision of clean drinking water. 
• Provision of alternative power supply and 20,000 litres per day of emergency fuel to sustain the operation of WASH facilities, along with replenishing the chlorine supply for water treatment plants. 
• Support to restore disrupted municipal services, including solid waste management, water, and sanitation operations, as appealed by the Gaza Strip municipalities. 
• Delivery of essential WASH services and provisions to IDPs in collective centres, including drinking water and hygiene kits. 

Response to Date

Since 7 October WASH partners have provided:  

• Some 9,500 hygiene kits to families in the UNRWA IDP centres  
• 1,950 cubic metres of drinking water trucked to IDP centres and host families  
• 175 cubic metres of bottled water among IDPs in UNRWA shelters. 
• Four water storage tanks, with a capacity of 10 cubic metres, and twenty others, with a capacity of 1.5 cubic metres each, to be used at community and IDP. 
• 8,000 units of ten litres of water capacity  
• 4,000 water purification tools for the hosted families in vulnerable communities and IDP centers  
• 211 cubic meters of fuel to WASH facilities 
• 5 cubic meters of anti-scalant to desalination plants 

Protection against sexual abuse and exploitation (PSEA) remains a cross-cutting priority for all clusters. The SAWA helpline, reachable at 121 and through WhatsApp at +972 59-4040121 (East Jerusalem at 1-800-500-121), operates 24/7. This toll-free number is widely disseminated across all areas of intervention to report cases of SEA and to facilitate emergency counseling and referrals for affected communities to access life-saving services. The PSEA Network monitors calls daily and will increase the number of counselors if necessary.