UNRWA Situation Report #114 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem

عربي

21 June 2024

All information from 10-19 June 2024, is valid as of 19 June 2024 at 22:30 

Days 248-257 of Hostilities 

Key Points

• Ongoing strikes by Israeli Forces continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardment across the Gaza Strip. These result in civilian casualties, displacement and the destruction of residential structures and civilian infrastructure. Airstrikes have been especially intense in central Gaza (middle areas), particularly in Bureij, Maghazi and Nuseirat refugee camps and eastern Deir Al Balah. The Israeli Forces’ ground offensive continues to expand, particularly in the southern regions of Gaza City and eastern Rafah, deepening the humanitarian crisis and significantly destabilizing humanitarian aid flows.
• Between 14 and 19 June, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, 130 Palestinians were reported killed and 421 were injured.
•  to OCHA, between 1-18 June, out of the 61 coordinated humanitarian assistance missions to northern Gaza, 28 (or 46 per cent) were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, eight (13 per cent) were denied access, 16 (26 per cent) were impeded and nine (15 per cent) were cancelled due to logistical, operational or security reasons.
• In addition, out of the 192 coordinated humanitarian assistance missions to areas in southern Gaza, 134 (70 per cent) were facilitated by Israeli authorities, 12 (six per cent) were denied access, 26 (14 per cent) were impeded and 20 (10 per cent) were cancelled. Denied missions included four solid waste transfer missions to landfills, water delivery to multiple schools and other sites in northern Gaza, and transfer of hygiene kits also to northern Gaza.
• The ongoing 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.  UNRWA has maintained a presence in Rafah with a focus on continuing missions to Kerem Shalom to retrieve fuel and aid. UNRWA is scaling up operations to significantly increase its capacity to retrieve aid via Kerem Shalom pending Israeli Authority movement approvals and cross-UN support to manage logistics.
• As of 19 June, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since 7 October is 193.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

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

• According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 10 June 2024, 521 Palestinians, including 126 children, were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
• Between 10 and 19 June there were at least 15 Palestinians killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This included six Palestinians who were killed in an exchange of fire with the Israeli Security Forces (ISF) on 11 June in Kafr Dan, near Jenin in the northern West Bank. On 13 June, three Palestinians were killed in Qabatiya in the northern West Bank when the ISF stormed the village and hit a Palestinian house with anti-tank missiles.
• El Far’a camp in the northern West Bank was subject to multiple ISF operations during the reporting period. On 10 June, an ISF operation began in El Far’a camp lasting over 24 hours in which a Palestinian child was killed. During the operation, several UNRWA installations were damaged, while roads and camp infrastructure were destroyed by ISF bulldozers. On 16 June, during a separate ISF operation, the UNRWA Health Centre in El Far’a camp was subject to unauthorized entry by ISF personnel.
• The ISF shot and killed a Palestinian on 18 June after allegedly attempting a stabbing attack against ISF personnel in Beit Fajjar village, in the southern West Bank. On 14 June, a Palestinian vehicle rammed a group of ISF near Rantis junction in the central West Bank, injuring one before fleeing the area.
• Israeli settlers’ violence persisted during this period, particularly in Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills area. Settlers harassed and intimidated Palestinians, damaged crops and installed several caravans on Palestinian land.

A displaced child stands outside a makeshift tent in Deir al-Balah, middle area, Gaza Strip. © 2024 UNRWA Photo by Ashraf Amra

Overall Situation 

The Gaza Strip

• According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, as of 19 June, at least 37,396 Palestinians have been reportedly killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October. Another 85,523 Palestinians have been reportedly injured.

Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians 

The Gaza Strip

UNRWA is working to verify the details of incidents reportedly affecting UNRWA premises. Further information will be provided once it becomes available. Five incidents have been reported impacting UNRWA installations and internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering in them. While verification of details and casualty figures are ongoing, initial reports indicate:

• [LATE REPORT] On 8 June, an empty tent inside a school in the Middle Areas was reportedly hit by an ISF missile, causing injuries to ten IDPs. Minor damage was also reported, the full extent of which have yet to be verified.
• [LATE REPORT] On 8 June, ISF reportedly carried out military activities around an UNRWA distribution centre in the middle area causing minor damage to the building, with reports of stray bullets and shrapnel found in the distribution centre once military activities ceased. It was also reported that on the same day, IDF tanks surrounded the warehouse whilst 25 UNRWA staff members were inside the building. Upon learning about this, UNRWA re-confirmed co-ordinates of the distribution centre with Israeli Authorities informing them of the presence of UNRWA personnel on the premises. UNRWA personnel were able to vacate the premises upon cessation of military activities; no injuries were reported.
• [LATE REPORT] On 8 June 2024, ISF reportedly hit a location   near a school in the Middle Areas. Six fatalities and 14 injuries were reported. The extent of damage caused, if any, is being verified.
• [LATE REPORT] On 8 June 2024, a stray bullet (provenance of which is pending verification) injured an 11-year-old girl in a school in the middle area, which is being used as a shelter. Her injury was attended to at the medical point inside the shelter.
• [LATE REPORT] On 9 June 2024, ISF reportedly struck a minaret of a mosque adjacent to a school in the Middle Area, killing three IDPs and injuring an unconfirmed number of IDPs sheltering at the school.
• On 18 June 2024, unexploded ordnance (UXO) was found at the Khan Younis Training Centre (south). The area was immediately cordoned off while coordination with UNMAS was initiated for an assessment and the safe removal of the ordnance.

445* incidents impacting UNRWA premises and the people inside them have been reported since the beginning of the war (some with multiple incidents impacting the same location), including at least 72 incidents of military use and/or interference at UNRWA premises. 188 different UNRWA installations have been impacted.

UNRWA estimates that in total at least 500* IDPs sheltering in UNRWA shelters have been killed and at least a further 1,547* injured since the start of the war. UNRWA is still verifying the number of casualties caused by incidents that impacted its installations, and notes that these figures do not include some reported casualties where the number of injuries could not be determined.

* Numbers continue to be subject to change once further verifications have been conducted.

UNRWA Response  

The Gaza Strip  

Health 

Due to the security situation, in combination with challenges to internet connectivity, we have been unable to provide any additional updates since Sitrep 112 published on 7 June.

Psychosocial support (PSS)

With the support of more than 300 counsellors, UNRWA continues to provide life-saving psychosocial support services in Gaza, including psychosocial first aid, individual and group counselling, fatigue management sessions, recreational activities as well as protection case assistance reaching children, youth and adults. Since the onset of the conflict and as of 19 June:

• 86 high risk protection cases received PSS   and referral services.
• 95,308 IDPs received awareness raising sessions and internal community social network support.
• 81,504 IDPs received individual PSS consultation sessions and 25,489 IDPs benefitted from group PSS sessions.
• 7,349 persons with disabilities and injured received assistive devices and rehabilitation services carried out by the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Humanity & Inclusion.

 Food Security

• As of 22 May, UNRWA continued to distribute flour in the southern governorates. To date, a total of 380,225 families (nearly 1.9 million people) have been reached, of whom 337,468 families have received two rounds of flour and another 237,162 families have received three rounds.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Due to the security situation, in combination with challenges to internet connectivity, we have been unable to provide any additional updates since Sitrep 67.

Quote from Abu Kefah, 81-year-old man displaced in Gaza:

“The scenes I witnessed as a child are being repeated with my own grandchildren. It shatters my heart.”