• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

UNRWA Situation Report #60 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (all information from 2-3 January 2024, is valid as of 3 January 2024 at 22:30)

UNRWA

4 Jan 2024

Days 88-89 of Hostilities

Key Points

The Gaza Strip

• As of 3 January 2024, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is 142.

• 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.

• 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 500,000 are in close vicinity of these installations and receiving assistance from UNRWA. A total of 1.88 million [1] IDPs are receiving assistance from UNRWA.

[1] 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

• On 2 January, Israeli Security Forces (ISF) operation took place in Qalqilya in the north west of the West Bank. There are reports of an exchange of fire with unconfirmed reports of fatalities.

• On 3 January, ISF started an operation in Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, in the north wester of the West Bank. The ISF operation has reportedly damaged public and private infrastructure and resulted in the arrest of hundreds of individuals.

• On 3 January a general strike was observed across the West Bank main cities after the killing of Hamas leader Saleh al Arouri in Beirut on 2 January.

Overall Situation

The Gaza Strip

• According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza on 3 January, at least 22,313 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 57,296 Palestinians have been reportedly injured.

The West Bank

• According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023-3 January 2024, 313 Palestinians, including 80 children, have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. ISF have injured 3,949 Palestinians, including 593 children; 52 percent in the context of search and arrest and other operations.
• Last year (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.

1. On 1 January 2024, in Khan Younis (in the south), one internally Displaced Person (IDP) was killed and another was injured as a result of a reported drone strike while the IDPs were transferring water between two schools within close proximity of each other; in a different incident another school in Khan Younis sustained damage as result of a stray bullet that directly struck a window.
2. On 2 January, an IDP sheltering in a school in Khan Younis was injured in front of the main gate, as a result of nearby strike, which also caused shrapnel to fall inside the school.
3. On 3 January 2024, four IDPs sheltering in a school in the Middle Areas were killed and five were injured, as a result of a direct strike on a building (school attendant's house) inside the school premises.

• 217 incidents impacting UNRWA premises and people inside them have been reported since 7 October (some with multiple incidents impacting the same location), including at least 22 incidents of military use and/or interference at UNRWA premises. This includes 62 direct hits on UNRWA installations and 69 different UNRWA installations sustaining collateral damage.
• In total, at least 319 IDPs sheltering in UNRWA shelters have been killed and at least another 1,135 [2] were injured since 7 October.

[2] Note this number has reduced by 13 as previously reported in Sitrep 59 due to on-going verifications. Note numbers are subject to change once further verifications have been conducted.

UNRWA Response

The Gaza Strip

UNRWA Shelters

• As of 2 January, in total, nearly 1.4 million displaced people are now sheltering in 155 UNRWA installations, with another half a million (or 500,000) 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 2 January 2024, eight (out of 22) UNRWA health centres are still operational in the middle and southern areas and recorded 10,657 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 209 [3] post-natal and high-risk pregnancy cases were attended to at health centres.
• On 2 January, UNRWA continued to provide health care at UNRWA health centres and shelters with 634 staff maintaining health services.
• On 2 January, UNRWA attended to 20,643 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 2 January, around 81,049 IDPs were reached.
• Between 1 and 2 January 2024, school counsellors addressed 1,102 individual and family consultations in Rafah and Khan Younis, alongside 1,098 group sessions. These efforts reached 21,416 IDPs, contributing to an accumulative total of 59,660 PSS sessions provided since 7 October.
• During the same period, school counsellors 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 5,799.

Food Security

• UNRWA continued to distribute flour outside of shelters in the southern governorates. A total of 188,851 families have been reached so far.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

• Between 2-3 January 2024, water wells in Jabalia (north), Khan Younis and Rafah (south) were operational. Approximately 14,000 cubic metres have been pumped. Khan Younis and Rafah water wells have operated in two shifts (12 hours) to provide potable/domestic water supply services.
• During the same period, the solid waste management service continued at Rafah, Khan Younis and middle area camps. About 100 loadings have been transferred to temporary dumping sites.

[3] Results for post natal cases were only from 7 of the 8 operational health centres

Quote from Joseph, (18), displaced in Rafah (south area)​

"In displacement and turmoil, I find in the sea some solace and respite from the burdens of his uprooted existence in Gaza. I may be displaced, but when I swim, I am free."

#HearTheirVoices

ENDS