Attachments
Introduction
The scale of loss and destruction in Gaza is indescribable. For almost 500 days, Israel carried out atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza, used starvation and denial of humanitarian aid as weapons of war, and sought to destroy every part of the enclave’s infrastructure and social fabric – schools, hospitals, homes, power, water. The temporary ceasefire offers some hope, but Gaza has been razed to the ground and its people continue to suffer greatly.
At least 48,200 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 111,600 others injured. More than 15,000 children are dead, including thousands of young babies and infants. Close to 70 per cent of fatalities are children and women, the vast majority of them killed in homes and shelters. Up to 10,000 people are still missing, presumed dead.
Almost all homes, schools and hospitals are in ruins, entire neighbourhoods are wiped out, and an estimated 50 million tonnes of rubble fill the streets. A United Nations damage assessment states that clearing that amount of rubble could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion. The UN also estimates that at least $50 billion will be required to rebuild Gaza.
Islamic Relief has been working in Palestine since 1997. Our teams were on the ground with emergency response and post- conflict support following prior escalations in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019, and 2021. Now, following the relentless Israeli bombardment, atrocities and immeasurable suffering, our teams and local partners stand ready to begin the long and painstaking process of supporting the Palestinian people to rebuild their lives and overcome the destruction, trauma and loss that they face.
Islamic Relief’s track record of delivering high-quality humanitarian and development interventions in Gaza spans nearly 30 years. Over the past three decades, our teams have developed trusted relationships with the communities we serve, and with local partners, whose capacity we aim to build over the months ahead. Since the start of Israel’s relentless attacks, Islamic Relief staff and partners have remained in Gaza, and have consistently been among the first to respond to emergencies with life-saving aid. Our dauntless and dedicated staff and local partners have faced the same hardships and dangers as the communities we serve and have a deep understanding of the huge and complex needs in Gaza.
The bonds of trust and our track record underpin our plan to help meet the urgent needs of Palestinians pushed to the brink of survival; and, as we pray for lasting peace, simultaneously lay the foundations for longer-term rehabilitation and development.
Restoring lives and communities will take time. The devastation and the needs of the severely traumatised population in Gaza are unlike anything we have seen. In October 2024, the United Nations stated that Gaza’s human development index, a statistical measure that summarises a country’s average human development, was expected to drop to a level not seen since 1955.
Islamic Relief is working to alleviate the intolerable suffering of the Palestinian people and reach those that are most vulnerable to prevent further deaths. We will step up our emergency response efforts to increase protection for those most affected, and, when the time comes, support with repairing, rebuilding, and strengthening vital services, facilities and infrastructure. We hope to help get children back to school, get hospitals and specialist care centres back up and running, and implement other longer-term development programmes that empower communities to rebuild self-reliance in a sustainable manner. We will continue to campaign for an end to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, so there can be lasting peace.