UNRWA Situation Report #121 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem

Israeli Security Forces (ISF) airstrikes reportedly hit southern and central areas of Gaza as humanitarians and partners continued to treat people impacted in a strike on Al Mawasi in southwest Gaza on Saturday that reportedly left at least 90 killed and around 300 injured. Strikes by ISF continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardment across the Gaza Strip. ISF ground offensive continues to expand, with new evacuation orders issued for all of Gaza City, deepening the humanitarian crisis and further destabilizing humanitarian aid flows.
Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator (DHC) and Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza released a statement describing his visit to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis on 13 July. The health care facility was overstretched with not enough medical beds, hygiene equipment and a lack of full services due to limited fuel and electricity. He urgently called for a ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the release of all remaining hostages.
According to the UN, up to 1.9 million people (or nine in ten people) across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including people who have been repeatedly displaced up to 10 times.
14 INGOs released the Gaza Humanitarian Snapshot detailing the deterioration of access for humanitarian supplies into Gaza, the restriction of movement of humanitarian staff and supplies within the Gaza Strip, and the worsening safety and security of humanitarian workers and healthcare workers with 274 aid workers killed and over 500 healthcare workers killed. According to the 14 NGOs, since early May the Karem abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing has been designated as the primary crossing for humanitarian cargo, but in reality only a small amount of aid is entering due to the following reasons: 1. Active fighting and insecurity around the crossing; 2. Deteriorating law and order, in part due to Israeli attacks on the police force, leading to a breakdown in public order; 3. Lack of visibility and predictability on the situation at the crossing which is hardly accessible for NGOs and UN, making retrieving items very complicated.
The latest information on supplies entering Gaza can be found below:

Gaza Supplies and Dispatch Tracking | UNRWA

As of 14 July, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since 7 October is 197.

[1] Birth under bombs: 9 months of hell - occupied Palestinian territory | ReliefWeb

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem update is now once a week.

According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 8 July 2024, 553 Palestinians, including 131 children, were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Between 8 and 14 July there were at least 196 recorded ISF search and arrest operations across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. More than 140 Palestinians including Palestine Refugees were detained by the ISF during this period.
During this period, five Palestinians were killed including three children. One of the fatalities was the result of an exchange of fire between Palestinian Security Forces (PSF) and Palestinians in the vicinity of Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin city, in the northern West Bank, on 13 July. On 14 July, in central Israel a Palestinian from East Jerusalem was shot and killed after an alleged ramming attack against a group of ISF personnel wherein four were reported injured.
ISF and Israeli settlers’ violence and harassment targeting Bedouin and herder communities in Masafer Yatta, in the South Hebron Hills, persisted throughout the week. On 8 July, ISF demolished a school and three houses belonging to Palestinians and uprooted trees. On 14 July, Israeli settlers installed three caravans in the Ar Rakeez area of Masafer Yatta, reportedly to expand the Avigayil settlement.

Overall Situation

The Gaza Strip

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, as of 15 July, at least 38,664 Palestinians have been reportedly killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October. Another 89,097 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.
Two incidents have been reported impacting UNRWA installations and internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering there. While verification of details and casualty figures is ongoing, initial reports indicate:
- On 13 July 2024, a medical point in Al Mawasi area sustained minor damages from the impact of air strikes on Al Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.
- On 14 July 2024, IAF reportedly fired three missiles at an UNRWA school in Middle Area. The missiles hit the internet point on the third floor of the building and the guards’ room, killing 15 and injuring more than 87 IDPs sheltering there. Among the injured was an UNRWA staff member. Partial damage to the building was also reported.
458* 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 74 incidents of military use and/or interference at UNRWA premises. 189 different UNRWA installations have been impacted by munitions or subjected to armed actor interference through these incidents.

UNRWA estimates that in total at least 539* internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering in UNRWA shelters have been killed and at least a further 1,708* 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

As of 10 July, 86 medical points and ten (out of 26[1]) UNRWA health centres were operational. These health centres provide primary health care, including outpatient services, non-communicable disease care, medications, vaccination, antenatal and postnatal health care and dressing for the injured.
On 10 July, almost 1,150 staff continued to work in operational health centres and medical points across the Gaza Strip, providing 16,793 medical consultations.
As of 10 July, UNRWA provided mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services in the Middle and Khan Younis areas with teams of psychiatrists and supervisors to assist special cases referred from health centres and shelters. UNRWA teams responded to 547 cases. They responded to cases in health centres and at medical points through individual consultations, awareness sessions and support for cases of gender-based violence. The teams provided medical care for 460 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk.
According to the Health Cluster, UNRWA remains one of the largest health actors operating in the Gaza Strip, contributing to over half of the people reached with health services. Between 7 October – 14 July, UNRWA provided over 4.7 million medical consultations in health centres and medical points across the Gaza Strip. In addition to medical consultations, UNRWA continues to provide vaccines with over 120,000 children vaccinated.
Due to challenges in bringing health supplies into the Gaza Strip as well as challenges in retrieving health supplies and transporting them to health facilities, stock levels remain very low, with up to 60 per cent of medicines either fully depleted or available in very low quantities.

[1] Pre-conflict UNRWA had 22 health centres, following the conflict an additional temporary health centres have been established.

Psychosocial support (PSS)

With the support of more than 300 counsellors, UNRWA continues to provide lifesaving psychosocial support (PSS) services in Gaza, including psychosocial first aid, individual and group counselling, fatigue management sessions, recreational activities, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and protection cash assistance, reaching children, youth and adults.
Since the onset of the conflict, around 700,000 IDPs, including 450,000 children, have benefited from a total of 235,666 PSS sessions/activities. From 23 June–7 July 2024, a total of 61,798 IDPs, including 26,645 children, benefited from these services.

Food Security

As of 20 June, 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 them 367,768 families have received two rounds of flour and another 300,978 families have received three rounds.
As part of its emergency response, UNRWA distributes food parcels in the southern governorates. UNRWA food parcels include[1] flour, rice, chickpeas, lentils, cheese, hummus and fish and are designed to cover approximately 90 per cent of daily calorific needs. To date, nearly 1.15 million people have been reached, of whom nearly 215,000 people have received two rounds of food parcels since the war started.
In addition to the distribution of UNRWA food parcels, the Agency distributed other food parcels on behalf of other UN organizations, reaching around 1.4 million people.

[1] Note the composition of the food parcel may change based on food item availability.

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 Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General:

"It’s time to regain our common humanity. The people of Gaza are children, women and men who like you and I have the right to live and hope for a better future.”