Attachments
Day 86-87 of Hostilities Published 2 January 2024
1. Key Points
The Gaza Strip
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As of 1 January 2024, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is 142.
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Since 7 October 2023, up to 1.9 million people (or over 85 per cent of the population) have been displaced across the Gaza Strip, some multiple times. Families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety. Information on internally displaced numbers for northern Gaza and Gaza City was last updated on 12 October due to access constraints and the security situation.
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As of 30 December 2023, nearly 1.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are sheltering in 155 UNRWA facilities across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including 160,000 in the north and Gaza City and approximately 400,000 in close vicinity of these installations and receiving assistance from UNRWA. A total of 1.79 million - [[1]](https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-59-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-Jerusalem#_ftn1) IDPs are receiving assistance from UNRWA.
[[1]](https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-59-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-Jerusalem#_ftnref1) This includes nearly 160,000 IDPs in north Gaza and Gaza City governorates as of 12 October. UNRWA's ability to provide humanitarian support and update data in the above areas is severely restricted. The hostilities, Israeli Forces' evacuation orders and the constant search for safer places meant that people are displaced multiple times. UNRWA shelters often provide assistance to registered Palestine Refugees and other members of the community. There are instances where total numbers could be duplicated due to overlapping registrations, this is why we use "estimates" for these figures.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem
- Israeli Security Forces (ISF) conducted a search and arrest operation in Jit Junction, Northern West Bank on 31 December 2023.
- On 31 December, ISF shot, injured and detained a Palestinian at the entrance of the Mishor Adumim settlement, central West Bank.
- Early in the morning on 1 January in Qatanneh, central West Bank, ISF conducted a search and arrest operation that resulted in the detention of 13 Palestinians.
- On 1 January, a 23-year-old Palestinian prisoner from Nablus died in Megiddo Israeli prison. His death is the seventh recroded since 7 October reported among Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Authority and the Prisoners' Club.
- On 1 January in Umm Rukba, southern West Bank, ISF allegedly took over a Palestinian home and used the roof as an observation post and to fire tear gas canisters and stun grenades toward Palestinians.
Overall Situation
The Gaza Strip
- On 1 January, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, at least 21,978 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October. About 70 per cent of those killed are reported to be women and children. Another 57,697 Palestinians have been reportedly injured since.
The West Bank
We were unable to get updated figures for the death toll in West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
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According to OCHA, between 7 October--30 December, 307 Palestinians, including 79 children, have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
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2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the UN began recording casualties in 2005.
Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians
The Gaza Strip
- UNRWA is working to verify details of incidents reportedly affecting UNRWA premises. Further information will be provided once it becomes available.
- On 29 December, a number of incidents were reported in two separate schools in the Middle Area, where one** Internally Displaced Person (IDP) sheltering in a school was injured by a stray bullet; and an additional ** IDP sheltering at a different school was reportedly killed by an ISF tank shell when he attempted to leave the school, one UNRWA staff was injured.
On the same day, two different incidents were reported in UNRWA shelters and its premises in Khan Younis, one IDP (child) sheltering was injured by a stray bullet that directly fell inside an IDP tent and other stray bullet directly impacted another tent. - On 31 December, 15 IDPs and one** UNRWA staff**, sheltering in a school in Khan Younis were injured as a result of the school being directly struck. On the same day, two stray bullets directly struck a different school. No injuries were reported.
- 212 incidents impacting UNRWA premises and the people inside them have been reported since 7 October (some with multiple incidents impacting the same location), including at least 21 incidents of military use and/or interference at UNRWA premises. This includes 60 direct hits on UNRWA installations and 68 different UNRWA installations sustaining collateral damage.
- In total at least 315 IDPs sheltering in UNRWA shelters have been killed and at least another 1,148 were injured since 7 October.
UNRWA Response
The Gaza Strip
UNRWA Shelters
- As of 30 December in total, nearly 1.4 million displaced people are now sheltering in 155 UNRWA installations, with another 400,000 registered and accessing services from UNRWA.
- The average number of IDPs in UNRWA shelters in the middle and southern areas is over 12,000. This is more than four times their capacity.
Health
- On 31 December eight (out of 22) UNRWA health centres are still operational in the middle and southern areas recorded 8,9521 patient visits.
- Midwives are providing care for post-natal and high-risk pregnant women at the eight operational health centres. On 31 December, a total of 2192 post-natal and high-risk pregnancy cases were attended to at health centres.
- On 31 December, UNRWA continued to provide health care at UNRWA health centres and shelters with 654 staff maintaining health services.
- On 31 December, UNRWA attended to 21,062 patients in UNRWA shelters and health centres.
Psychosocial support (PSS)
- UNRWA teams, including 284 social workers in the shelters, continue to provide psychosocial first aid and other specialized protection services to IDPs. As of 30 December, around 80,343 IDPs were reached.
- Between 30 and 31 December, school counsellors addressed 1,511 individual and family consultations in Rafah and Khan Younis, alongside 1,149 group sessions. These efforts reached 21,450 IDPs, contributing to an accumulative total of 57,460 PSS sessions provided since 7 October.
- During the same period, school counselors provided psychological support to nearly 400 UNRWA staff, through both in-person and remote consultations. The total number of UNRWA staff provided with psychological support since the beginning of the hostilities is 5,399.
Food Security
- UNRWA continued to distribute flour outside of shelters in the southern governorates. A total of 181,805 families have been reached so far.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
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Between 31 December 2023 and 1 January 2024, water wells in Jabalia, Khan Younis and Rafah were operational. Approximately 13,000 cubic metres have been pumped. Khan Younis and Rafah water wells have operated in two shifts (12 hours) to provide potable/domestic water supply service.
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During the same period, the solid waste management service continued at Rafah, Khan Younis and middle area camps. About 120 loadings have been transferred to temporary dumping sites.
[1] Results are only from 7 of the 8 operational health centres due to connectivity issues.
[2] Results are only from 7 of the 8 operational health centres due to connectivity issues.
Quote from Joanna, an UNRWA Student Parliamentarian from the Jabalia Prep C Girls School, currently displaced in the UNRWA Khan Younis Training Centre.
"My dream was to be a businesswoman worked so hard to fulfil my dream of becoming a businesswoman. Then, just like that, in one sudden moment I found myself here, in an UNRWA shelter, not knowing if I'm going to l see another day."
#HearTheirVoices
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