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13 January 2025
Top humanitarian official issues ceasefire appeal during visit to Gaza City
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10 January 2025
‘Children are now freezing to death’: harrowing updates from Gaza
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Press Release
09 January 2025
A week into the new year: violence shows no sign of abating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
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The Sustainable Development Goals in Palestine
The UN and its partners in Palestine are working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: 17 interconnected Goals which address the major development challenges faced by people in Palestine and around the world. These are the goals the UN is working on in Palestine:
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13 January 2025
Top humanitarian official issues ceasefire appeal during visit to Gaza City
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory called on Sunday for an end to the war in Gaza to ensure a better future for children there and the entire region.Muhannad Hadi, who is also the Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, made the appeal during a visit to Gaza City, where he met with representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs).The senior official also visited Holy Family Church, where he recorded a video message on the church steps, surrounded by displaced children.“Needless to say that churches, mosques, civilians, and all civilian infrastructure, must be protected. They can only be protected by the end of this war; by a ceasefire,” he stressed.'End this war'He said that Gaza’s displaced youth “deserve to go back to their homes.” Furthermore, the children sitting with him “are the hope of the future, and without education, without proper healthcare, there will be no bright future,” he added.“Again, I am here appealing from this church in Gaza to end this war, for the sake of these children, for the sake of the future, but also for the sake of a better future for all of us in this region.”
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10 January 2025
‘Children are now freezing to death’: harrowing updates from Gaza
The horrors in Gaza show no signs of abating, the UN said on Thursday, noting that the Ministry of Health reports that over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed there since October 2023, most of them women and children. Tragically in the last month alone, eight newborns have died of hypothermia and 74 children have already died amid the brutal conditions of winter in 2025. “We enter this New Year carrying the same horrors as the last - there’s been no progress and no solace. Children are now freezing to death,” Louise Wateridge from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, told UN News. Meanwhile, hostilities continue with relentless operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) causing mass casualties and widespread destruction. Simultaneously, rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups towards Israel also continues, endangering civilians in the country.“The Secretary-General again strongly condemns the widespread killing of - and injury to - civilians in this conflict” said his Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in a briefing on Thursday.Hunger crisis grinds onUN humanitarian partners have reported that the hunger crisis across the Gaza Strip continues to worsen, amid critical supply shortages, severe access restrictions and violent armed looting.In Central and Southern Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) disclosed that as of Sunday, UN humanitarian partners had exhausted all supplies in their warehouses. This comes at a time when Israeli authorities continue to deny most requests to bring food assistance from the Erez West crossing to areas south of Wadi Gaza.About 120,000 metric tonnes of food assistance, which is enough to provide rations for the entire population for more than three months, remains stranded outside of the Strip.UN partners have warned that if additional supplies are not received, the distribution of food parcels to hungry families will remain extremely limited.“More than 50 community kitchens providing over 200,000 meals a day to people in central and southern Gaza would also be at risk of shutting down in the coming days,” reported Mr. Dujarric.Impossible choices According to the World Food Programme (WFP), as of Monday, only five of 20 bakeries supported by the agency are still operational across the Gaza Strip - all of them within Gaza governorate.In order to be able to stay up and running, these bakeries rely on continued fuel deliveries by partners from southern Gaza.However, humanitarian partners have now warned that the lack of fuel to power generators is crippling Gaza’s health system, putting the lives of patients at risk and leaving aid workers with impossible choices to make.North Gaza update The conditions are particularly alarming in besieged North Gaza where the movement of humanitarian personnel is heavily restricted.Ongoing attacks and hostilities in the area have severely disrupted healthcare services for survivors who remain there. Access to Al Awda Hospital in Jabalya - the only hospital in North Gaza still partially functioning - is extremely limited.OCHA reports that Israeli authorities continue to deny UN-led efforts, including the most recent attempt on Wednesday to reach the region.Across the Strip, the Israeli authorities facilitated only five missions out of 15, with four impeded, three denied and another three canceled due to security or logistical challenges.“In Gaza, parents and children remain missing beneath rubble, separated or detained - their fates unanswered. Hope is silenced, and the brutal war rages on,” said Ms. Wateridge. The path forward Despite ongoing difficulties, the UN and its partners are working towards reaching people throughout the region with critical support. Across Gaza, between 22 December and 8 January, some 560,000 people received primary and secondary healthcare services.The Secretary-General called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law. “Civilians must be protected and respected at all times and their essential needs must be met,” said Mr. Dujarric on his behalf.“There must be an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages being held in Gaza,” he firmly concluded.
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08 January 2025
UN World Food Programme condemns Israeli attack on aid convoy
Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza, while the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported that one of its aid convoys in the war-shattered enclave was targeted by Israeli fire on Sunday. The WFP issued a statement on Monday condemning the attack insisting that its vehicles had been “clearly marked”. “At least 16 bullets” struck the convoy of three vehicles carrying eight staff members which came under fire near Wadi Gaza checkpoint. “Thankfully, no staff members were injured in this terrifying encounter,” the agency added.All necessary clearances had been obtained from the Israeli authorities and WFP said that it was “just the latest example of the complex and dangerous working environment” confronting its teams. Warehouse strikeThe development comes amid reports that a missile struck a flour distribution warehouse in central Gaza run by a UN aid partner at the weekend, leaving three humanitarian workers seriously injured.UN agency teams in the vicinity of the storage depot described hearing people screaming after the strike. They also reported looting and gunfire after Sunday’s blast at the MA’AN Development Center facility.It has been 15 months since war erupted in Gaza, prompted by Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel that left some 1,200 dead in October 2023 and more than 250 people taken hostage. Reported ceasefire talks between Palestinian officials and Israel have yet to result in an agreement to halt the violence or release those captured. To date, Israeli bombardment from the air, land and sea continues to be reported across the Gaza Strip, where a harsh winter has set in. Eight babies are reported to have died from hypothermia and more than 45,300 Palestinians have been killed and over 107,700 injured; one in five of that number has sustained life-changing injuries since 7 October 2023, according to the authorities.
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06 January 2025
‘Hospitals have become battlegrounds’: Gaza’s health system on brink of collapse
In a Security Council meeting on Friday, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) representative for the West Bank and Gaza, painted a grim picture of the situation, emphasising that over 25 per cent of the 105,000 injured civilians now face life-changing injuries.“At the current rate, it would take five to 10 years to evacuate all these critically ill patients,” Dr. Peeperkorn warned, noting that over 12,000 people remain on waiting lists for urgent treatment abroad.System at breaking pointOnly 16 of the region’s 36 hospitals remain partially operational, their collective capacity merely above 1,800 beds - entirely insufficient for the overwhelming medical needs.“The health sector is being systematically dismantled,” Dr. Peeperkorn noted, citing shortages of medical supplies, equipment, and personnel.Kamal Adwan Hospital, North Gaza's main healthcare facility, is among the latest casualties.A December raid left the hospital severely damaged, forcing critical patients to be transferred to the Indonesian Hospital - another non-functional facility lacking essential supplies.Meanwhile, Al-Awda Hospital, the last operational hospital in North Gaza, struggles to provide basic care amidst depleting resources, ongoing hostilities, and a precarious lack of access to vital medicines.The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called the destruction of hospitals a “human rights catastrophe” which “continues to unfold in Gaza before the eyes of the world.”Addressing ambassadors, he detailed patterns of targeted attacks on healthcare facilities, including the killing and forced removal of patients and staff.Health workers targetedFor healthcare professionals in Gaza, “wearing scrubs and white coats is like wearing a target on their backs,” said Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan from NGO, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).More than 1,000 healthcare workers have been killed since October 2023.Despite the relentless violence, these professionals have continued their mission to save lives, often risking their own in the process.“They are proud hard-working professionals who take their oath to care for their patients very seriously,” Dr. Haj-Hassan said.Urgent action requiredDr. Peeperkorn and Mr. Türk joined voices in demanding increased humanitarian aid, expedited evacuations, and adherence to international humanitarian law.“The protection of hospitals during warfare is paramount and must be respected by all sides, at all times,” Mr. Türk stressed.WHO has verified 654 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza since October 2023, resulting in 886 fatalities and 1,349 injuries.Each attack leaves behind not just damaged buildings but also countless lives disrupted, denied access to essential care and stripped of dignity.Despite the devastation, Gaza’s health system persists. “Against all odds, health workers, WHO and partners have kept services going as much as possible," said Dr. Peeperkorn.The restoration of facilities like Al-Shifa and Nasser Medical Complex showcases the region’s ability to rebuild. "This is nothing short of a feat and is a reason to be hopeful,” he noted.However, without a ceasefire and increased protection for health services, the future remains disheartening.
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12 December 2024
The United Nations issues an urgent humanitarian appeal to support 3 million people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
To address the most urgent needs of approximately 3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 2025.The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in its appeal, stated that modern history has not witnessed such unprecedented levels of killings and destruction in Gaza. Simultaneously, violence has escalated significantly in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.OCHA noted that needs have drastically worsened due to the effects of intense and ongoing military operations, repeated evacuation orders, and restrictions on the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver aid to those in need. The United Nations and its partners estimate that the actual needs far exceed this amount, with at least $6.6 billion required to address them adequately.OCHA stated: “People are either killed by bombs or bullets, or they slowly suffocate due to a lack of the most basic means of survival. Gaza has become the most dangerous place in the world and the most challenging in terms of delivering humanitarian assistance.”The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs added that access points to Gaza remain restricted or closed, humanitarian law and notification mechanisms are not being respected, and staff face threats of detention at gunpoint at checkpoints. Residents are forced to rely on severely limited aid due to the collapse of public order and security within Gaza.OCHA outlined several essential conditions for delivering principled humanitarian assistance on the required scale, including ensuring the ability of humanitarian actors to safely and sustainably deliver relief to all those in need, increasing entry points and supply routes by land into and within Gaza, and improving security in the area to facilitate the safe movement of humanitarian goods and relief personnel.
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20 December 2024
‘Dying hungry and in pain’: An increasingly likely outcome in Gaza
Describing it as "the most dangerous place on earth right now." Speaking to correspondents via video link on Thursday, the senior OCHA official underscored the grim reality facing over two million people trapped in Gaza, where basic necessities like food, shelter, and safety have become scarce.“Dying hungry and in pain” is an increasingly likely outcome for children, mothers, aid workers, and teachers alike, he said.“We're there to support [the people] who for more than 14 months have struggled to stay alive,” Mr. Petropoulos explained. “But we're not allowed to do our jobs,” he emphasised.Humanitarian operations under siegeOCHA has been striving to deliver food, healthcare, and safe drinking water to Gaza’s besieged population, but fuel shortages and blocked access routes have exacerbated the crisis.Moreover, these efforts have been opposed by what Mr. Petropoulos referred to as “blanket prohibitions” from Israeli authorities.“When we raise these things with Israeli authorities, they reject virtually every single practical solution that we table,” Mr. Petropoulos said, adding that “the aid system has been weaponised.”He further revealed that aid delivery often becomes a race against time, with insufficient supplies to meet the growing needs of the population.“As an aid worker in Gaza, you're forced to make horrible decisions,” he described. “Should I let people die of starvation or of the cold? Do we bring in more food to ease hunger or more plastic sheets for some shelter from the rain at night?”, he illustrated.North Gaza: Mass displacement and destructionNorth Gaza, under near-total siege for 75 days, has become a site of intensified military operations.Mr. Petropoulos described chilling reports of mass casualties, the destruction of entire communities, and forced displacements under bombardment.“The Israeli corridor bisecting the strip, has been fortified to such a degree that it's not really a corridor anymore,” he said, noting that 150 requests for humanitarian access have been denied since October.Even when supplies manage to reach shelters or hospitals, they are often destroyed in subsequent attacks.A call on Member StatesMr. Petropoulos called on Member States to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of civilians.He emphasised the need for a ceasefire and immediate, complete humanitarian access.“We need to get to people wherever they are,” he said. “We need to prove the impact of this response based on how people are doing and not the numbers of trucks,” he added.The UN has consistently warned of the escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres urging all parties to respect the principles of international humanitarian law and facilitate aid delivery to those in need.As the crisis intensifies, the UN’s humanitarian system in Gaza faces its greatest test yet, operating “hand to mouth” with little reserves left.
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19 December 2024
Security Council hears of ongoing violence, ‘relentless’ Israeli settlement expansion
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General in the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), presented the latest quarterly report on the implementation of Council resolution 2334 (2016).It calls for Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the OPT, including East Jerusalem, and for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians.Ongoing hostilities in GazaMr. Khiari said that hostilities and violence have continued throughout the OPT since the report’s submission.Among the incidents was the reported killing of at least 69 Palestinians from 14 to 15 December in four Israeli airstrikes on schools in Gaza sheltering displaced persons. This includes 20 people killed at a school run by UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis.More than 250 Palestinians have been killed in such strikes over the past week, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The authorities said that the death toll from the war has surpassed 45,000, while Israeli sources report that over 1,700 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed.West Bank unrestMeanwhile, an Israeli boy was killed in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank on 12 December. Israeli forces reportedly killed a Palestinian man in an exchange of fire in a refugee camp that same day.“Serious clashes have also taken place between Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank and Palestinian security forces since the written report, particularly in Jenin camp following a Palestinian arrest operation and the seizure of Palestinian Authority vehicles by militants,” he said.He added that over several days, Palestinian security forces have killed an unarmed 19-year-old and detained numerous Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants, while the clashes have caused significant damage to the camp.Hamas attacks condemnedMr. Khiari highlighted some of the observations in the report.He again strongly condemned the horrific 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on Israel and the continued holding of more than 100 hostages in Gaza. Nothing can justify these acts of terror, he said, reiterating that all remaining hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally, while a ceasefire in Gaza is long overdue.Devastation, death and humanitarian restrictionsHe also drew attention to the widespread devastation and deprivation resulting from Israel’s military operations in the north, and condemned its use of explosive weapons with wide area affects in densely populated areas across the Gaza Strip, which has caused massive casualties and damage, including to UN premises.He mourned the UN personnel killed in Gaza and strongly condemned the killing of health workers, humanitarians and journalists, as well as the looting of aid in the context of a breakdown of law and order. He further noted that continued restrictions imposed by Israel, looting and overall insecurity mean that aid entering Gaza is insufficient to meet the overwhelming needs.Against settlement expansion"I remain deeply alarmed by the relentless Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, that is fueling tensions, impeding access by Palestinians to their land and threatening the viability of a future independent, democratic, contiguous and sovereign Palestinian State," he said.He expressed deep concern that Israel has continued to systematically promote policies that have strengthened involvement of civilian officials in control over the occupied West Bank, which includes transferring of some security functions. Some Israeli Government officials also have called for annexing areas of the territory.In this regard, he noted the recent findings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its Advisory Opinion on 19 July, which declared that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and must end as rapidly as possible.Support Palestinian governmentMr. Khiari said it is vital that the international community provide immediate support to the Palestinian Government so that it can address fiscal challenges, strengthen governance capacity, and prepare to reassume responsibilities in Gaza.“We must establish political and security frameworks that can address the humanitarian catastrophe, start early recovery, rebuild Gaza, and lay the groundwork for a political process to end the occupation and establish a viable two-State solution as soon as possible,” he said.He stressed that these frameworks must facilitate a legitimate Palestinian Government that can re-unify Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem - politically, economically and administratively, while also reversing the steadily deteriorating dynamics throughout the OPT.“Any attempt to establish settlements in Gaza must be firmly rejected. There must be no attempt to reduce or annex the territory of Gaza in whole or in part,” he said.Lay the foundationAmid the conflict in Gaza and tensions in the West Bank, the UN continues to call for a two-State solution between Palestinians and Israelis.“The devastation and misery of the past year have reinforced once again a simple truth: Palestinians and Israelis can no longer wait to establish a viable political horizon,” he said.“Now is the time to lay the foundations for a better future for Palestinians, Israelis and the broader region,”.Mr. Khiari upheld the UN’s commitment to support Palestinians and Israelis in ending the occupation and resolving the conflict in line with international law, relevant UN resolutions and bilateral agreements in pursuit of achieving the two-State solution.
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17 December 2024
Gaza death toll passes 45,000 as UN school suffers new deadly strike
As humanitarians condemned new deadly airstrikes across the war-torn Strip, including on a UN school-turned-shelter.Images taken at the school in Khan Younis showed the apparent impact point of one shell in a concrete upper floor where people had been living at the time of the attack late Sunday night.According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, 13 people died and 48 were injured during the strike. There was no warning, said the victims.“It's been another very deadly night here in the Gaza Strip, we are waking up every single day to a new horror,” UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer, Louise Wateridge, told UN News.“I have been to Nasser Hospital this morning. One of the children I spoke to her name was Mona, 17 years old; she has very severe injuries to her leg - she had very severe shrapnel wounds - and she was in the hospital with her sister…their mother was crushed to death under the rubble.”Another victim, two-year old Julia, suffered severe head trauma and lost her sight in one eye; her five-year-old brother also had a serious head injury.Originally from Gaza City, the youngsters and their family “have been forcibly displaced seven or eight times,” Ms. Wateridge said. “They ended up in the [UNRWA] school, and they've been there for the last seven months, and now this – it just feels very hopeless.”Youngsters’ tollThe development followed an update from the head of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, that more than 14,500 youngsters have been reportedly killed in Gaza. Many thousands more are believed buried under the rubble.Meanwhile, famine “continues to loom in the north” and humanitarian access remains “severely restricted”, said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, in a post on social media.“Virtually all 1.1 million children in Gaza are in urgent need of protection and mental health support,” she added, amid media reports that Israeli military activity in the last 24 hours has left at least 69 Palestinians dead, from Beit Lahia in the north to Rafah in the south.Food aid blockedEchoing those concerns, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that Gazans were now desperately worried about not getting enough to eat. In the absence of a ceasefire, “we need to find a way of getting all the food that we have outside Gaza in”, said WFP's Head of Emergency Communications, Jonathan Dumont.“The devastation is absolutely staggering,” he continued, in an online message from Gaza.“There’s no electricity or running water or sewage (treatment). Almost everyone has lost their home. A lot of people are living in tents. We have hot meals, distributions…People come and they get really desperate. You can see it in their faces and you can see it in their eyes. To prevent famine we need to find a way to get a consistent flow of food in.”
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13 December 2024
Gaza: ‘Devastation is absolutely staggering’, says senior WFP official
The Head of Emergency Communications for the World Food Programme (WFP) has told UN News in an interview that civilians are desperate for lifesaving aid and there’s a growing risk of widespread famine.Speaking from Gaza, Jonathan Dumont said many people have been displaced multiple times, and that families are living either in tents or in the rubble of collapsed buildings, with no access to electricity or running water.The text has been edited for length and clarity.UN News: How do you describe the situation on the ground in Gaza, after more than a year since the war erupted there?Jonathan Dumont: The devastation is absolutely staggering. This year, I've been to Goma, Port-au-Prince, Khartoum, a lot of different places where people have issues getting food or have been displaced. But in Gaza, I haven't met anyone who hasn't been displaced at least two or three times, due to military activity.Almost everyone has lost their home. In the south, a lot of people are living in tents, and with the winter coming, you have rain and wind blowing them over, flooding them. Most kids don't have shoes.A lot of people feel they have no choice but to go back to their homes, which are quite frequently, literally rubble. I met a few families who are living in basically the cement blocks that have collapsed over them, and there's no electricity, running water or sewage. This is the second winter for many of them that they're homeless.UN News: You've been to the northern part of Gaza. Can you tell us more about what you saw there?Jonathan Dumont: I've been to Gaza City, although I didn't go to the areas in the far north. Gaza City is a huge city but many of the buildings have been destroyed. Before you had villas, beach cabanas and a fishing port, and now it is just a ghost town.WFP is able to reach that area, so there’s some food there, but the food prices of what’s not coming from the international community, or from WFP, are through the roof. There was someone selling peppers for 195 dollars…five dollars for one pepper. People can’t afford that.Bakeries are being treated as banks – with metal slots and a metal corridor to channel people through because people are desperate, and they don't want people to get injured or crushed trying to get food. In Khan Yunis, where we are distributing hot meals, people get really desperate – you can see it in their faces, in their eyes.UN News: The IPC report warned of the acute hunger and maybe some of people are on the verge of famine. Do you think the food insecurity is getting worse in Gaza?Jonathan Dumont: The problem is that there's been a total breakdown of society here, there's no police, no infrastructure or any of the structures of society. As a result, what we've had in the southern part of Gaza is that gangs are emerging. We've had our trucks coming in from the south looted, and our drivers beaten.We are trying to find solutions to have a consistent flow of food in. Obviously, the easiest way to do that would be if there was a ceasefire, which we are always hopeful will happen. In the absence of that, we need to find a way of getting all the food that we have outside Gaza into the country so that people can access it. We need to make sure people have access to food.UN News: Many of the bakeries are not functioning. How many of them are working at full capacity?Jonathan Dumont: In the south there is none of the WFP’s bakeries which are big volume bakeries. In the north there are some, but in the south, there are just small bakeries, so people are improvising when they have some flour.Bread is the staple here, bread is life.
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12 December 2024
Muhannad Hadi During Gaza Visit: "People Here Feel Like They Are Waiting for Death"
"This misery must end. It is time for peace. It is time to give people hope. Enough of this atrocity," said Muhannad Hadi, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, following a two-day visit to Gaza. During his visit, Hadi toured several areas, hospitals, and shelters, "I have seen people in shelters who are lacking the basic services and lacking food".Speaking to UN News in Gaza, the UN official noted: "Those who do not die from bullets or from the bombs. They may die from the lack of proper health care or the lack of food or safe drinking water."Hadi observed the dire state of healthcare in Gaza, which has been severely impacted by the ongoing conflict for over a year. During a visit to a medical point in Nuseirat camp, he found that the mobile clinic was merely a tent. One healthcare worker he met described the situation for maternity care: "Imagine a woman giving birth in a tent. The only hospital in the area providing maternity services in a building is Nasser Hospital."At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Hadi spoke with staff, patients, and individuals recovering from injuries, including children. Hospital officials explained that Nasser Hospital has become the substitute for Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, which was previously the backbone of Gaza's healthcare system. Worsening ConditionsFollowing his visit to Nasser Hospital, Hadi described the deteriorating situation: "The health sector in Gaza is collapsing. I have seen mothers sitting next to their children wondering if they can ever provide them with the medicines that they need, with the medical care that they need. As a humanitarian worker and a father, witnessing these children suffer due to a lack of medicines and medical attention is deeply painful."Despite the despair, Hadi praised the commitment of healthcare workers: "I have not seen such dedication anywhere in my professional life. They are doing their utmost with the few resources they have." He added: "I saw patients in immense pain, suffering from a lack of necessary medicines. This must end. People here feel like they are waiting for death."During his hospital visit, Hadi also witnessed the structural damage to hospital buildings. In the dialysis unit, he met patients who traveled long distances for their sessions, braving the challenges of ongoing conflict, restricted mobility, and destroyed roads.Severe Shortages of Basic SuppliesThe Humanitarian Coordinator's two-day visit to Gaza focused on the healthcare sector. On the second day, he visited Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza. Speaking to journalists, he highlighted that the hospital's capacity was 199 beds, but it now accommodates 550 patients."The situation is catastrophic overall. The healthcare sector is struggling like every other sector in Gaza," Hadi said. "I listened to people's tragic stories. I saw children with amputated limbs and severe human suffering."He pointed to a lack of the most basic supplies in hospitals, including bed linens, medical staff uniforms, and sterilization equipment. Meeting with Youth"Children will need extensive psychological support to rebuild their lives," said a young Palestinian woman Hadi met at OCHA’s Gaza office on the second day of his visit. The young woman, who studied fine arts, shared how her social media pages now depict the daily suffering of Gaza's children instead of art and exhibitions.A high school senior described how his life has been "put on hold" since the outbreak of the war. He noted that around 100,000 high school students are unable to continue their studies or plan for the future. "My classmates who moved to Egypt have graduated and moved on with their lives, while I am still stuck in the same grade," he said.
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Press Release
09 January 2025
A week into the new year: violence shows no sign of abating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Gaza nightmare continues In Gaza, it has been 15 months of relentless Israeli attacks that have led to the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians, the displacement (often multiple times) of almost everyone across Gaza, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the collapse of public order and safety. Nobody has been spared with scores of killings of first responders, healthcare workers, journalists, local police officers, and UN staff. No place is safe with bombardment continuing to destroy homes, shelters, hospitals, schools and places of worship. The first week of the new year was no different. Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling and gunfire reportedly killed at least 332 Palestinians in Gaza since 1 January 2025, including women and children. The Israeli military is still issuing displacement orders, including in Middle Gaza. Airstrikes in Gaza City and Middle Gaza were particularly harsh last week, creating further insecurity and risks for Palestinians who are being forcibly displaced from northern Gaza and are seeking shelter in these areas. In the meantime, Israel continues to impede the entry of aid into Gaza. The collapse of public order and safety, in large part a result of the Israeli military’s targeting of civilian police, also continues to make it difficult to deliver what little aid is available effectively to those most in need throughout Gaza. Since 1 January 2025, at least two incidents were reported of Israeli airstrikes allegedly killing guards providing security to aid distribution. A 74-truck UN aid convoy was attacked last Saturday by looters who then seized 43 trucks. An Israeli airstrike on Sunday reportedly hit the tents of internally displaced persons in the Israeli-designated “humanitarian zone” of Al Mawasi - Khan Yunis and killed two civilian police leaders, one of whom was allegedly in charge of aid security.The suffering of Palestinians in Gaza is compounded by the harsh winter weather conditions with no proper shelters to stave off the cold and rain. On Monday, 6 January, a 35-day-old baby reportedly died from hypothermia bringing the total reported number of Palestinians who succumbed to the cold to eight, most of them children. The West Bank The deterioration of the human rights situation in the West Bank also continues into the New Year. This includes the sustained increase in violence which has so far killed 813 Palestinians over the past 15 months, especially as a result of settler violence and Israel’s security forces’ consistent use of unlawful lethal. This has involved the growing pattern of using methods and means of warfare outside the conduct of hostilities, the use of lethal force against unarmed Palestinian bystanders, including children and women not posing any threat to life or limb, and extrajudicial executions of Palestinians “wanted” by Israel.This is in addition to the forced displacement of Palestinians with incessant demolitions and forced evictions, the expansion of illegal settlements, severe restrictions on freedom of movement essentially tearing communities apart, and an unprecedented repression of freedoms of expression, press and opinion. Since 1 January 2025, Israeli security forces continued daily raids of Palestinian communities reportedly killed nine Palestinians, including four children, most recently two boys aged eight and ten who were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Tammun today, 8 January. On Friday, Israeli settlers attacked several Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank, assaulted and set fire to Palestinian homes and vehicles and seriously injured at least ten Palestinians, among them an elderly Palestinian man. On Monday, Palestinian armed men reportedly shot at Israeli vehicles near an Israeli settlement, killing three Israelis including two women aged 70 and 73 and an off-duty police officer aged 35 and injuring eight others. Threats of retaliatory violence are surfacing in the media including by senior Israeli officials. Concerns about the conduct of the Palestinian security forces The conduct of the Palestinian security forces also continues to be a matter of concern as an operation in Jenin Refugee Camp continued since 5 December 2024. So far, eight Palestinians were killed in the course of the operation, most of them unarmed, and six Palestinian security officers. Among those killed since the beginning of the year in Jenin are a father and his 14-year-old son who were shot to death together on Friday, 3 January. The Palestinian security forces denied responsibility for the incident. This is happening along with a growing crackdown on the freedom of expression and press in the West Bank including the Palestinian Authority’s shutdown of Al Jazeera broadcasts, reported administrative orders banning criticism of the Palestinian Authority on social media, and reported arrests, threats and ill-treatment based on the exercise of freedom of expression. We are reiterating our calls on the Palestinian security forces to operate within the strict limits of international human rights law and urge the conduct of transparent, thorough, and effective investigations into all killings by the Palestinian security forces. Violations of international law must end Fifteen months of grave breaches of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law with impunity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory cannot be allowed to continue for another year. This responsibility falls on the entire international community, especially countries with influence and leverage who can exercise pressure to protect civilians from further suffering and ensure accountability. The UN Human Rights Office calls once again on Israel to respect its international law obligations, including as the occupying power, to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians and their unimpeded and dignified access to basic services and essential needs. The UN Human Rights Office additionally calls for the release of all those arbitrarily detained in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the hostages who remain in Gaza. We remind Israel of its obligation to end its illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as per the International Court of Justice, and to stop all violations of international law including practices that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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Press Release
02 January 2025
Pattern of Israeli attacks on Gaza hospitals raises grave concerns about serious crimes under international law – UN report
The attacks, documented between 12 October 2023 and 30 June 2024, raise serious concerns about Israel’s compliance with international law, the report states. Medical personnel and hospitals are specifically protected under international humanitarian law, provided they do not commit, or are not used to commit, outside their humanitarian function, acts harmful to the enemy.“As if the relentless bombing and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza were not enough, the one sanctuary where Palestinians should have felt safe in fact became a death trap. The protection of hospitals during warfare is paramount and must be respected by all sides, at all times,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said.“This report graphically details the destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza, and the extent of killing of patients, staff, and other civilians in these attacks in blatant disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law.” The appalling destruction wrought by the Israeli military’s attacks on the Kamal Adwan hospital last Friday – leaving the population of North Gaza with almost no access to adequate health care – reflects the pattern of attacks documented in the report. Staff and patients were forced to flee or were taken into custody, with many reports of torture and ill-treatment. The director of the hospital was taken into custody and his fate and whereabouts are unknown.During the period covered by the report, there were at least 136 strikes on at least 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities, claiming significant casualties among doctors, nurses, medics and other civilians and causing significant damage, if not complete destruction of civilian infrastructure.In the exceptional circumstances when medical personnel, ambulances, and hospitals lose their special protection because they fulfil the strict criteria to be considered military objectives, any attack on them must still comply with the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack. Failure to respect any of these principles constitutes a breach of international humanitarian law.Intentionally directing attacks against hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are treated, provided they are not military objectives; intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such, or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities, including the launching of an indiscriminate attack resulting in death or injury to civilians; and intentionally launching disproportionate attacks, are also war crimes, the report adds. Under certain circumstances, the deliberate destruction of healthcare facilities may amount to a form of collective punishment, which would also constitute a war crime.The report also notes that several of these acts, if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population, further to a State or, in case of non-State actor, organizational policy, may also amount to crimes against humanity.In most instances, Israel alleges that the hospitals were being improperly used for military purposes by Palestinian armed groups, the report states. However, insufficient information has so far been made available to substantiate these allegations, which have remained vague and broad, and in some cases appear contradicted by publicly available information. If these allegations were verified, this would raise serious concerns that Palestinian armed groups were using the presence of civilians to intentionally shield themselves from attack, which would amount to a war crime.The impacts of the Israeli military’s operations in and around hospitals, and associated combat, extend far beyond the physical structures, the report finds.Women, especially pregnant women, have suffered gravely. Many women have given birth with no or minimal pre- and post-natal care, increasing the risk of preventable maternal and child mortality. The UN Human Rights Office received reports that newborns had died because their mothers were unable to attend postnatal check-ups or reach medical facilities to give birth.The increasingly limited healthcare system prevented many of those who had sustained trauma injuries from receiving timely and possibly life-saving treatment. By the end of April 2024, according to the Ministry of Health of the State of Palestine (Palestinian MOH), 77,704 Palestinians were injured. Many injured reportedly died while waiting to be hospitalized or treated. According to the Palestinian MOH, by the end of June 2024, more than 500 medical professionals had been killed in Gaza since 7 October.The Israeli military’s first major operation against a hospital involved Al Shifa Medical Complex in November 2023. It raided the facility a second time in March 2024 leaving it in complete ruin by 1 April. Subsequent to the withdrawal by the Israeli military, three mass graves were reportedly found at the hospital, with at least 80 corpses retrieved, raising serious concerns that crimes under international law may have been committed. Some of these bodies were reportedly found with catheters and cannulas still attached, suggesting they had been patients.In some of the attacks, the Israeli military likely used both heavy weapons and air dropped munitions with wide area effects, the report finds. It appears that an MK 83 munition was used in the 10 January airstrike in front of Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, Middle Gaza. Reportedly, at least 12 people were killed, including a journalist and several IDPs, and 35 people were injured. The use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in a densely populated area raises serious concerns of an indiscriminate attack.The report finds that another feature of such attacks has been the apparent targeting of people inside hospitals, but that in most of these cases it was difficult to determine attribution. The UN Human Rights Office verified multiple cases of people being shot dead at Al Awda Hospital in Jabalya, including a volunteer nurse who was fatally shot in the chest while looking out of a window on 7 December 2023.“It is essential that there be independent, thorough and transparent investigations of all of these incidents, and full accountability for all violations of international humanitarian and human rights law which have taken place,” said Türk. “All medical workers arbitrarily detained must be immediately released.”“It must also be a priority for Israel, as the occupying power, to ensure and facilitate access to adequate healthcare for the Palestinian population, and for future recovery and reconstruction efforts to prioritise the restoration of the medical capacity which has been destroyed over the last 14 months of intense conflict.”Please see the links to the full report below:ENGLISH: Thematic Report - Attacks on hospitals during the escalation of hostilities in Gaza (7 October 2023 - 30 June 2024) | OHCHRARABIC: https://www.ohchr.org/ar/documents/reports/thematic-report-attacks-hospitals-during-escalation-hostilities-gaza-7-october
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Press Release
06 December 2024
Seven attacks on tent encampments in the past two weeks kill 34 Palestinians including 10 children
Yesterday, 4 December, an Israeli airstrike hit a makeshift tent encampment sheltering 21 families in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis, which had been unilaterally declared a “safe humanitarian zone” by the Israeli military. The strike, together with secondary explosions, destroyed all 21 tents and killed at least 23 Palestinians, including at least 4 children and 2 women – one of them pregnant - while seriously injuring others. The Israeli military claims to have targeted “senior Hamas commanders” and alleges that secondary explosions were likely caused by weapons present in the area. However, according to the information available to UN Human Rights Office, it was the gas cylinders for domestic use that appear to have caused these secondary explosions.This is the seventh attack on an IDP tent encampment in the past two weeks, altogether killing at least 34 Palestinians, including 10 children and 3 women. Four of these attacks occurred in the Israeli-declared “humanitarian zone” in Al Mawasi, killing at least 11 Palestinians including a woman who died with her 2 daughters, and 4 additional children.Almost everyone in Gaza has been displaced more than once due to ceaseless Israeli displacement orders and bombardment. In this context, the pattern of attacks on shelters including schools and tent camps raise concerns about Israel's failure to comply with its obligations under International Humanitarian Law including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack. Depending on the circumstances, such strikes may amount to the deliberate targeting of civilians- a war crime and could also amount to crimes against humanity when conducted as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.The UN Human Rights Office urges the Israeli military to prioritize the protection of civilians in Gaza. We call for independent, impartial and effective investigations for all such attacks on tents sheltering displaced families that have led to the deaths of civilians, including women and children, since the beginning of the war on 7 October 2023 and for accountability for those found responsible. We also urge the Palestinian armed groups to refrain from any activities that may expose civilians to the risk of attacks.
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Press Release
21 October 2024
UN Human Rights Office is concerned over the potential destruction of the Palestinian population in north Gaza
For two weeks since 6 October, the Israeli military has taken measures that make life in North Gaza impossible for Palestinians while repeatedly ordering the displacement of the entire governorate. Israeli authorities prevented the entry of all essential supplies to North Gaza between 1 and 14 October, exacerbating the already dire situation under which food and fuel supplies to the north were dwindling, and many were facing starvation. After 15 October, a token amount of aid seems to have entered the North, but this does not commensurate with the needs of the population.While the Israeli military has demanded that all civilians leave North Gaza, it has continued to relentlessly bomb and attack the area, especially in and around Jabalya Camp. These attacks have made it extremely dangerous for civilians to flee, and the UN Human Rights Office has received reports over the last weeks of Palestinians targeted while fleeing. Many Palestinians in the North have also expressed fears that should they flee; they will never be allowed to return to their homes in North Gaza. Israeli troops have also destroyed residential buildings and attacked schools serving as shelters, resulting in numerous civilian casualties and further limiting available shelter as winter approaches. One strike on a residential block in Beit Lahiya on 19 October killed at least 87 Palestinians according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Keeping with the trend in this escalation, many of the casualties appear to be children and women.The Israeli military’s resumed attacks on two of the three main hospitals in North Gaza put even more pressure on the civilian population. All three hospitals, already damaged in previous IDF attacks, are also struggling with shortages of supplies and fuel. Rescue teams and medics continue to report restrictions and direct and indirect attacks by the Israeli military, hindering lifesaving operations, including the recovery of Palestinians trapped under rubble. Internet services in North Gaza have been disrupted since 19 October, and at least 3 Palestinian journalists were killed in the last 2 weeks, limiting the available information about the conditions of life in North Gaza.Reports also indicate that tens of Palestinian men are being taken into custody by the IDF, raising fears that they may be subjected to arbitrary detention as well as torture and other ill-treatment, especially considering previous violations documented by the UN Human Rights Office. Israel must promptly announce the identity of all those taken into custody and ensure their access to their lawyers and families.We reiterate that all parties must respect and protect civilians. Palestinian armed groups must refrain from deliberately co-locating military objectives and civilians or civilian objects and must take all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population and civilian objects under their control against the effects of attacks. Even where Palestinian armed groups have failed to comply with these norms of IHL, Israeli forces retain their obligations to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack.The UN Human Rights Office reminds the State of Israel of the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice on 26 January 2024 that it take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in relation to Palestinians in Gaza. It also reminds Israel that, as the occupying power, it must ensure the provision of food, medical supplies and shelter for the population of Gaza, as also ordered by the International Court of Justice.
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Press Release
09 September 2024
Defending the Right to Learn: Education in the Face of War
According to UN data, the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip has left 625,000 students completely deprived of their access to education, and 23,000 teachers deprived of the ability to deliver learning adequately. Following 7 October all UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip were closed. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now using these schools as shelters. About 93 per cent of school buildings are estimated to have sustained some level of damage. At least 84.6 per cent of schools in Gaza will either need full reconstruction or major rehabilitation work to be functional again.Since the beginning of the war, around 9,000 students and 400 teachers have been killed in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the total number killed is around 76 students and two teachers.Movement restrictions, military operations, and violence have exacerbated a pre-existing education crisis to unprecedented levels, affecting at least 782,000 students across the West Bank. The threats to the right to education for Palestinian students have never been so serious.Attacks on education have serious, long-term physical and psychological repercussions for students and teachers. Formal teaching and learning have been suspended for over an entire school year now, with no indication as to when they may resume, which may lead to a significant increase in dropout rates. Military use and destruction of schools and other educational institutions remain a constant threat, creating significant barriers to learning, and impacting access to quality, equitable, inclusive, and safe education - which is a human right of all children. António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations highlighted “This important day reminds us of the damage of war on young learners’ bodies, minds, and spirits. From injuries and loss of life to abduction, forced displacement, sexual violence, recruitment to the fighting, and lost opportunities, the risks are enormous”.It is crucial to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment. We must stand united in safeguarding our educational institutions, promoting peace, and fostering a culture of respect and understanding to provide consistent, safe, and high-quality education to all Palestinian children.We also echo once again the Secretary-General's call for ‘an immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustained ceasefire in Gaza’ and the ‘immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,’ some of whom are also students.
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