UNRWA Situation Report #17 on the Situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem 27-29 October 2023

Key points

The Gaza Strip

• In the last 72 hours, another 10 UNRWA staff have been killed, bringing the total to 63 UNRWA colleagues killed since 7 October.
• Nearly 672,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are sheltering in 149 UNRWA installations across the Gaza Strip, facing increasingly desperate conditions. The ability to provide lifesaving assistance has been further hindered by the 36-hour disruption in communications that affected the whole Gaza Strip, including humanitarian organizations, between 27 and the early hours of 29 October.
• With very limited assistance available, and shelters overwhelmed, mounting tensions are reported among the displaced communities. Several break-ins into UNRWA warehouses and distribution centres were reported, with food and non-food items taken.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

• Israeli Security Forces (ISF) operations, involving Palestinian fatalities, have been reported in Jenin and Qalqilya refugee camps on 27 October.
• According to OCHA, 115 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since 7 October, including 33 children.
• Several incidents of settler violence were also reported between 26 and 28 October, targeting Palestinians harvesting olives. One Palestinian fatality was reported in a village near Nablus during an attack of armed settlers on 28 October.