Highlights of the noon briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General ANTÓNIO GUTERRES (excerpt)

26 June 2024

(Excerpt)

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OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

Earlier today, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, led a field visit to the West Bank to witness how settlement expansion and restrictions on access and movement are fueling humanitarian needs.

The mission, which was organized by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), included a visit to Tulkarm city and its two adjacent camps – Tulkarm and Nur al Shams. Mr. Hadi met with communities there, who spoke of the impact of recurrent operations by Israeli forces in the camps.

Across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, OCHA says that as of Monday, 536 Palestinians – nearly a quarter of them children – have been killed since 7 October.

The vast majority were killed by Israeli forces, and at least 10 by settlers.  Nearly 5,400 Palestinians were injured in these incidents.

In the week between 18 and 24 June, OCHA also documented 18 attacks by Israeli settlers across the West Bank, resulting in injuries and damage to Palestinian-owned property and trees.

And turning to Gaza, OCHA says that insecurity and active hostilities in the south are still a major impediment to humanitarian operations. In the past week, a number of attacks have hit the periphery of Al Mawasi, where many displaced people have sought shelter.

One of the major and ongoing constraints is picking up supplies from the Kerem Shalom crossing. To do that, humanitarian organizations have been confronted by criminal activity along the single road they have been forced to use, amid Israeli military operations nearby.

The Israeli authorities continue to restrict the use of alternative roads.

Meanwhile, partners working to support health care in Gaza warn that power blackouts due to fuel shortages continue to put the lives of critically ill patients at risk. This includes newborns, patients receiving dialysis, and those in intensive care units.

The lack of fuel is also hampering efforts to respond to the water, sanitation and hygiene crisis across Gaza. Partners working on the response say water production from groundwater wells – which is the main source of Gaza’s water supply – has shrunk by more than 50 per cent – from 35,000 cubic metres per day to just 15,000.

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