The Humanitarian Monitor | August 2009

This month, one of the deadliest intra-Palestinian armed clashes since the Hamas takeover of Gaza claimed the lives of 28 people, including five civilians; over 100 others were injured in the incident. Aside from this incident, there were no significant changes in protection and access trends observed during previous months. Palestinian casualties due to Israeli-Palestinian violence remained relatively low in August, in comparison with monthly averages in the first half of the year, and Palestinian movement to and from the main urban centres in the West Bank continued to be relatively smooth, with the exception of access to East Jerusalem. However, access to large farming and grazing areas and water resources in the West Bank remain heavily restricted, and Israel's blockade of Gaza continues to severely impact livelihoods and services.