UNRWA – Rapporto # 29 sulla situazione al 12/11/23 h.18:30 nella Striscia di Gaza e in Cisgiordania, compresa Gerusalemme Est
1. Key points
The Gaza Strip
- In the last 24 hours, one UNRWA staff member was killed with her family in the north of the Gaza Strip due to strikes. In total, 102 UNRWA colleagues have been killed and at least 27 injured since the beginning of the hostilities. This is the highest number of United Nations aid workers killed in a conflict in the history of the United Nations.
- One UNRWA school in the north and one UNRWA building designated as a residence for UN international staff in Rafah area were directly hit by strikes. UN international staff present in Rafah had left the building 90 minutes before the strike. No casualties were reported among the staff although the guesthouse was severely damaged. This strike is yet another indication that nowhere is safe in Gaza. The coordinates of the UN international staff guesthouse were shared twice, including on 10 November. UNRWA shares coordinates of all its facilities across the Gaza Strip with parties to the conflict.
- In an UNRWA school in the Middle area, three internally displaced people were injured due to a nearby strike.
- UNRWA received extremely concerning reports that Israeli Security Forces (ISF) entered one UNRWA school and two UNRWA health centres in the Gaza Strip with tanks and used the installations for military operations. UNRWA is further verifying these reports.
- The fight of tens of thousands of people who were forced to move on foot from north to south continued on 12 November. The UN and NGOs are supporting through presence and providing very basic assistance such as water and some food just south of Wadi Gaza. People were forced to walk several kilometres. Many were exhausted and dehydrated amid unusually high temperatures.
- Almost 1.6 million people have been displaced across the Gaza Strip since 7 October.
- Nearly 787,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are now sheltering in 154 UNRWA installations across all fve governorates of the Gaza Strip, including in the north.
- Nearly 627,000 IDPs are sheltering in 97 facilities in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas. Nearly 160,000 IDPs were sheltering in 57 UNRWA schools in the North and Gaza areas as of 12 October 2023, before the evacuation order was issued by the Israeli Authorities. UNRWA is not able to access these shelters to assist or protect the IDPs and does not have information on their needs and conditions.
- Obtaining updated figures and information is becoming increasingly challenging, especially in the Middle area, due to serious communication breakdowns. In some areas, the telecommunications companies have stopped operating. It is expected that communications will start to fail as of Thursday 16 November, when telecommunications companies run out of fuel to operate their data centres and major connection sites.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem
- Further to the ISF operation in Jenin refugee camp, on 9 November, UNRWA has reported damages to the streets around the Agency school compound, including two boys’ and one girls’ school, preventing access to the premises. The wall of the girls’ school was reportedly partially demolished.
- Due to the security situation in the camp, and widespread damage to infrastructure hampering movement and access in and around the camp, UNRWA schools have turned to blended learning, i.e. using print and online materials.
- Last night, an exchange of fre took place between Palestinians and ISF during a search operation in Jenin city, and one Palestinian was killed.
- ISF operations in cities and villages in the northern West Bank, as well as Qalandia and Shu’fat refugee camps, took place in the overnight/early morning between 11 and 12 November. Another ISF operation in Arroub refugee camp was reported late 12 November.
2. Overall situation
The Gaza Strip
- According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, as of 10 November over 11,078 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October; two third of them are believed to be children and women. Due to the collapse in MoH services and communications in the north, casualty data has not been updated for the last two days.
- Over 27,490 people have been injured. Around 2,700 others, including 1,500 children, have been reported missing and may be dead or trapped under the rubble, awaiting rescue or recovery.
- Overall, around 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, according to Israeli Authorities, the vast majority on 7 October (OCHA).
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem
- According to OCHA, since 7 October, 172 Palestinians, including 46 children, have been killed by Israeli Security Forces (ISF) and eight, including one child, by Israeli settlers.
3. Humanitarian access & protection of civilians
The Gaza Strip
- One UNRWA colleague was killed with her family in the North area due to strikes. 102 staff members have been killed since the beginning of the war.
- Nearly one third of the UNRWA colleagues who were killed were below the Wadi Gaza line, in the southern and middle areas of the Gaza Strip.
- One UNRWA school in the north was directly impacted by a strike that hit the middle of the schoolyard. No injuries were reported but the strike caused damage to the school building and created a large hole in the middle of the schoolyard. According to the latest available reports, over 8,300 internally displaced people (IDPs) were sheltering in the school as of 12 October.
- An UNRWA building used as a residence by international UN staff in Rafah was directly hit by artillery fire. The upper floor of the building, the internal compound and the perimeter wall were severely damaged. No injuries were reported as the international UN staff had left the location shortly before the strikes.
- Due to strikes close to one UNRWA school in Deir Al-Balah, in the Middle areas, three IDPs were injured by shrapnel that fell inside the school. 4,000 IDPs are sheltering in the school.
- UNRWA received extremely concerning reports that Israeli Security Forces (ISF) entered one school and two health centres in Gaza city with tanks and used the installations for military operations. The reports received by UNRWA state that ISF conducted interrogations and arrests of IDPs in the installations. In one health centre, five people were reportedly killed. According to the reports, IDPs were subsequently forced to leave the UNRWA installations and move south towards Wadi Gaza. Witnesses reported that Israeli Forces then struck the two health centres with artillery fire. UNRWA is further verifying these reports. If confirmed, the military use of UNRWA facilities raises serious concerns, as such use puts civilians at serious risk of harm. Directing attacks against civilian objects is a serious violation of international law. Health centres, in particular, are also afforded special protection against attack.
- At least 561 IDPs sheltering in UNRWA premises have been injured and 66 killed since 7 October. The number of killed and injured IDPs is likely to be higher as UNRWA is still trying to verify casualties of incidents impacting her installations in the North and in Gaza areas.
- At least 63 UNRWA installations have been impacted since the beginning of the war. Most of these are south of Wadi Gaza, in the middle and southern areas.
- On 12 November, a total of 48 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies, including medical supplies, food and drinking water, entered the Gaza Strip through Rafah, bringing the total number of trucks to 963 since 21 October when the first convoy was allowed to enter. Of those, 22 of the trucks which entered on 12 November were UNRWA trucks. UNRWA teams received all trucks in the convoys inside Gaza and helped with storage and distribution, in cooperation with other UN agencies.
- This is far below the quantities needed to meet the needs of over 2 million people trapped in Gaza. Before the war, around 500 trucks, including humanitarian assistance but predominantly commercial supplies, entered Gaza every day.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem
- Due to access restrictions, UNRWA staff in the West Bank have been unable to reach the Field Office in Jerusalem since 7 October.
- While access restrictions are in place in the West Bank, UNRWA has been able to keep its operations running, except in Hebron.