2. Crisis overview

The escalation of violence in Gaza and southern Israel lasted for eight days November 14- 21, 2012, and involved Israeli bombardments and airstrikes on targets in Gaza and rocket fire from Gaza to Israel. The escalation was the most intense of a series of outbreaks since the war in 2009.

Executive Summary:

Report Number 71269

Abstract

Key findings

• The past two years show a downturn in violence against aid workers that spiked in a small number of conflict contexts beginning in 2006 and peaking in 2008.

• The recent decline in attacks is mainly due to the shrinking presence of international aid agencies in the most violent settings, Somalia in particular, rather than improving security conditions.

• The incidence of aid worker kidnappings continues to rise dramatically, and the use of major explosives has emerged as a tactic of violence in a small number of settings.

The Socio-Economic and Food Security (SEFSec) survey is part of a broader monitoring system in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) to be institutionalized within the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). The purpose of the SEFSec is to gauge changes in the living conditions of Palestinian households by monitoring socio-economic and food security indicators which emerged out of a need for timely information complementing the Palestinian Expenditure and Consumption Survey (PECS). This initiative is supported by the Food and Agriculture

Between December 27th, 2008 and January 18th, 2009, the Israeli army waged a major military operation in the Gaza Strip, bombarding the territory from the air, ground and sea, and conducting a large scale ground incursion. 'Operation Cast Lead' resulted in significant loss of life and damage to infrastructure. Moreover, military operations continue on a regular basis, notably in the areas near the border with Israel (the so-called buffer zone), resulting in death, injury and displacement. These operations occur against the backdrop of a severe, long-term blockade.

The accusations came as Israel prepares to be examined by the UN Human Rights Committee, a body that scrutinizes government's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Committee will be quizzing Israel at a hearing in Geneva on 13-14 July.

The claims are contained in a report filed with the UN Committee by two independent human rights organizations

DCI-Palestine submitted an Alternative Report to the Committee in July 2009 which included 127 pages of annexed affidavit material relating to the right to life, the use of human shields and the mistreatment of Palestinian children in Israeli detention facilities,

Overview

The occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with a population of 2.38 million and 1.42 million people respectively. About half of the population are refugees.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been marked by periods of different intensities. Following the second Intifada (upsurge) initiated in 2000, the Israeli government has launched the construction of a Barrier around the West Bank and tightened the movement of Palestinians in and out the territory. Since the Hamas