• 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 #109 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - All information from 20-22 May 2024, is valid as of 22 May 2024

UNRWA

24 May 2024

Key Points

• Reports continue of ongoing strikes by Israeli Forces, encompassing aerial, land and maritime bombardment across the Gaza Strip. These attacks result in civilian casualties, displacement and the destruction of residential structures and essential civilian infrastructure. The Israeli ground offensive continues to expand, particularly in the southern regions of Gaza City and eastern Rafah, notably around the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Rafah Crossings.
• Humanitarian operations in Gaza continue to face severe humanitarian access restrictions, including the ongoing closure of key crossings, denials of planned missions and delays in movements imposed by Israeli authorities. According to OCHA, between 1 and 20 May, 183 humanitarian aid missions in Gaza were coordinated with the Israeli authorities. Of the 51 missions to northern Gaza, only 37 per cent were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, and the remaining missions were either denied access, impeded (these may be aborted or accomplished, albeit partially, despite the impediment), or cancelled. For missions in southern Gaza, among the 132 missions, only half were facilitated by the Israeli authorities and the remaining half 50 per cent were either denied access, impeded, or cancelled.
• Families that have been already displaced several times are on the move again due to military operations and Israeli evacuation orders. As of 19 May 2024, the estimated number of people displaced from Rafah is nearly 815,000 people since 6 May, with a further 100,000 people displaced in northern Gaza. Most UNRWA shelters in Rafah have been vacated, with internally displaced people moving to Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah. Overall displacement numbers correlate with the UNRWA registration figures in the new locations: for example, nearly 150,000 people have registered for essential services for UNRWA in Khan Younis alone in the last ten days.
• As a result of the ongoing military operation in eastern Rafah the UNRWA distribution centre and WFP warehouse, both in Rafah, remain inaccessible.
• The current Israeli military operation in Rafah is directly impacting the ability of aid agencies to bring critical humanitarian supplies into Gaza as well as the ability to rotate critical humanitarian staff. From 1 - 20 May, according to OCHA, 14 missions which were heading to Kerem Shalom to collect aid supplies encountered delays due to traffic congestions blocking the road and delayed clearance by Israeli authorities, resulting in six missions being aborted. During this reporting period (20- 22 May), the border crossings were only open for one day and only 39 trucks entered the Gaza Strip via Kerem Shalom and Rafah land crossings. Since 6 - 20 May only 143 trucks have entered the Gaza strip via Karem Abu Salem.

For latest updates on trucks please check:

Gaza Supplies and Dispatch Tracking | UNRWA

• According to WHO and the Health Cluster, evacuation orders and ongoing military operations in proximity of health facilities are further disrupting healthcare service provision. In Rafah, a hospital, a field hospital, and four primary health centres, and 21 medical points located within the zone were ordered to be evacuated in May. As of 18 May, in the entirety of the Gaza Strip only 15 out of 36 hospitals (41 per cent) remain partially functional, and 33 out of 93 primary health care facilities (35 per cent) are functional. UNRWA remains the largest health service provider in Gaza, with 7 primary health care clinics and over 100 medical points across the Gaza Strip still operational. According to the health cluster, UNRWA provides an average of 160,000 people a week with health services eincluding child healthcare, primary healthcare, mental health, which equates to over 50 per cent of all people reached with health services.
• As of 22 May, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is 191, an increase of two.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem update will shift to once a week, every Monday.