Publications
Supplies of emergency fuel provided by the UN for critical facilities in Gaza are being fast depleted, the Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Jamie McGoldrick, warned today. He called on Israel to end restrictions preventing the import of fuel and for donors to provide immediate funding for emergency fuel, currently set to run out in early in August.
Since 30 March 2018, the Gaza Strip has witnessed significant increase in Palestinian casualties in the context of mass demonstrations taking place along Israel’s perimeter fence with Gaza and, to a lesser extent, in the context of hostilities and other incidents. The large number of casualties among unarmed Palestinian demonstrators, including a high percentage of demonstrators hit by live ammunition, has raised concerns about excessive use of force by Israeli troops. Despite significant assistance provided, Gaza's health sector is struggling to cope with the mass influx of casualties, due to years of blockade, internal divide and a chronic energy crisis, which have left essential services in Gaza barely able to function.
On 14 July, two Palestinian children were killed, and another 33 Palestinians and four Israelis were injured, in one of the most serious escalations in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel since the 2014 hostilities. The Israeli air force targeted dozens of military sites and open areas in Gaza in multiple airstrikes, one of which hit a building in Gaza City; two 14-year-old children, who were staying in a nearby park, were killed and another 31 people, including five children, were injured. Over 50 buildings, including homes, schools and health facilities located next to the targeted sites sustained some damage. Palestinian armed groups fired some 200 rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel, the vast majority of which fell in open areas or were intercepted in the air. One of the rockets hit a home in the Israeli town of Sderot, injuring four Israelis, including two children, and another exploded near a synagogue. An informal ceasefire, brokered by Egypt and the UN, was reached on the evening of the same day; however, sporadic airstrikes/shelling and mortar fire continued during the reporting period, injuring three Palestinian men and damaging a house.
Today, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, Mr. Jamie McGoldrick, visited the Gaza Strip and called for urgent measures to prevent further deterioration in the humanitarian situation there, following intensified movement restrictions.
Longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from Gaza have undermined the living conditions of about two million Palestinians in that area. Many of the restrictions, originally imposed by Israel in the early 1990s, were intensified after June 2007, following the Hamas takeover of Gaza and the imposition of a blockade. These restrictions continue to reduce access to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future. Between June 2013 and May 2018, restrictions imposed at Rafah Crossing with Egypt further compounded the situation.
Since 30 March 2018, the Gaza Strip has witnessed an enormous increase in Palestinian casualties in the context of mass demonstrations taking place along Israel’s perimeter fence with Gaza and, to a lesser extent, in the context of hostilities and other incidents. The large number of casualties among unarmed Palestinian demonstrators, including a high percentage of demonstrators hit by live ammunition, has raised concerns about excessive use of force by Israeli troops. Despite significant assistance provided, Gaza's health sector is struggling to cope with the mass influx of casualties, due to years of blockade, internal divide and a chronic energy crisis, which have left essential services in Gaza barely able to function.
The Gaza Strip faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, impacting the livelihoods and provision of essential services to Gaza’s two million residents. This crisis has been driven by over 11 years of an Israeli blockade and an unsolved internal Palestinian divide, exacerbated since 30 March 2018 by the massive increase in Palestinian casualties in the context of mass demonstrations taking place near Israel’s perimeter fence. The following indicators were identified by the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) to monitor the crisis, trigger humanitarian action and prevent further deterioration.
Demolitions resumed in the second half of June, mostly in East Jerusalem. 22 per cent decline in demolitions in the first half of 2018, compared to the equivalent period in 2017. No donor-funded structure demolished or seized in June. 67 per cent decline in the number of donor-funded structures targeted in the first half of 2018.
$4.8 million urgently required for trauma management and emergency healthcare response to Gaza demonstrations. Housing survey reveals that 43,700 substandard homes in Gaza require full reconstruction or emergency shelter assistance. Military order allowing the demolition of new unlicensed structures in Area C within 96 hours from the issuance of a notice, frozen, pending decision by Israeli Supreme Court. Palestinian families move out of the Batan al Hawa neighbourhood in East Jerusalem due to coercive environment by Israeli settler presence.
The main article in this month’s Bulletin concerns the rehabilitation needs of the thousands of Palestinians in Gaza who have been seriously injured since 30 March in the ‘Great March of Return’ demonstrations along Israel’s perimeter fence. It is estimated that over 1,400 Palestinians may suffer from a long-term disability due to the severity of the injuries incurred. The Ministry of Health in Gaza is coordinating rehabilitation care for discharged patients, with the support of a variety of Health Cluster partners. This additional burden to the already fragile health system in Gaza is taking place against the backdrop of deteriorating living conditions and severe funding shortfalls for humanitarian agencies.
