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UNRWA Situation Report #128 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All information from 8 - 15 August 2024, is valid as of 16 August 2024 at 22:30 (local time)

UNRWA

16 Aug 2024

The Gaza Strip

• Ongoing strikes by the Israeli Security Forces (ISF) continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardments across the Gaza Strip, resulting in civilian casualties, displacement and the destruction of residential structures and public infrastructure.
• During the reporting period, additional evacuation orders were issued on 15 August warning people living in parts of southeast Khan Younis to immediately move to the so-called "humanitarian safe zone" in Al Mawasi. According to OCHA, approximately 305 square kilometres, or nearly 84 per cent of the Gaza Strip, has been placed under evacuation orders by the Israeli military.
• According to a FEWS NET Gaza food supply assessment, as of the end of July, an estimated 79,082 to 86,925 metric tons of food were brought into Gaza, a significant increase from the 47,443 to 61,530 metric tons estimated in June. This increase was largely attributed to a surge in commercial cargo, amid a decrease in humanitarian aid. The higher volume of commercial food shipments does not necessarily translate into the enhanced availability of, or access to, food in Gaza, especially considering the low purchasing power of many households. The report also highlighted that humanitarian food supplies entering Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom/ south of Gaza) in July were at their lowest level since October 2023, representing only a quarter of the average volume that entered between November and May.
• According to the UN, up to 1.9 million people (or nine in ten people) across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including people who have been repeatedly displaced (some up to 10 times).
• Access constraints within Gaza continue due to: (i) increased hostilities; (ii) the separation of the north and south; and (iii) frequent evacuation orders (from the Israeli authorities). These continue to severely impede the delivery of life-saving humanitarian supplies and access to critical services. According to OCHA, from 1 to 11 August, the Israeli authorities facilitated only 40 per cent of humanitarian assistance missions to the north and 51 per cent to the south. The remaining missions were either denied access, impeded or cancelled due to logistical, operational or security reasons. The cumulative impacts of access constraints undermine efforts to address urgent humanitarian needs, perpetuating a continued cycle of deprivation and distress among affected people across Gaza.
• According to WHO and the Health Cluster, the health system remains barely functional. The latest evacuation orders continue to disrupt the functionality of health facilities, with only 12 of the 16 partially functional hospitals accessible due to insecurity or physical barriers, including from damaged roads. UNRWA remains a major actor in the health sector, providing health services across 10 primary health centres and up to 100 mobile medical points across the Gaza Strip.
• As of 15 August, the total number of UNRWA team members killed since 7 October is 207.
• Several challenges stand in the way of collecting much needed humanitarian supplies from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing point in southern Gaza. These include deteriorating law and order, war and insecurity, damaged infrastructure, fuel shortages and access restrictions.
• The latest information on supplies entering Gaza can be found below:

Gaza Supplies and Dispatch Tracking | UNRWA

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem update is now once a week.

• According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 5 August 2024, at least 594 Palestinians have been killed. Separately, UNICEF[1] reported that 143 children have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 7 October - an average of one child every two days.
• Between 5 and 11 August, 182 Israeli Security Forces (ISF) search and arrest operations were recorded across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with at least 149 Palestinians, including Palestine Refugees, being detained and extensive infrastructure damage in Balata and Jenin refugee camps. During this same period, 17 Palestinians were killed, including seven killed by ISF airstrikes. On 6 August, five were killed in drone strikes directed at two Palestinian vehicles during an ISF search operation in Jenin Camp and Jenin city in the northern West Bank, with a further two later dying of their injuries.
• On 5 August, an exchange of fire took place between the ISF and Palestinian armed groups during a search operation in 'Aqbaba, in the northern West Bank, with four Palestinians killed ad seven injured by live ammunition.
• On 6 August, two Palestinians were shot and killed by the ISF after alleged attacks against Israelis: one after stabbing an ISF personnel at the "Tunnels" Checkpoint, south of Jerusalem; and one who opened fire at the Israeli settlement of Beka'ot, in the northern West Bank.