Emergency Manager's Weekly Report

Dec 29, 20234 min read

Hamas attack on Israel Situation Report #25

Military and Diplomatic Highlights:

· On December 28th, heavy Israeli bombardment from air, land, and sea, continued across most of the Gaza Strip. Intense ground operations and fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas also continued in most areas.

· On December 28th, a drone was identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory and was intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Aerial Defense Array.

· Since the start of ground operations, a total of 165 IDF soldiers have been killed and 921 have been injured.

Civil Protection and Humanitarian Assistance Highlights:

Israel:

· On December 28th, Magen David Adom (MDA) responding to a stabbing terrorist attack near the Mizmorya Checkpoint in the Jerusalem region. MDA treated and transported two people to area hospitals.

Gaza Strip:

· On December 28th, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) treated and transported 14 people from homes and a refugee camp in Central Gaza. They also reported three fatalities at the Maghazi refugee camp.

· The PRCS in collaboration with the Egyptian Red Crescent Society is working to establish a camp in Khan Younis for PRCS displaced families.

· There are 1.9 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Gaza. This is over 85% of the population:

o As of December 25th, nearly 1.7 million IDPs were sheltering in 156 UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) facilities.

o Preliminary estimates by humanitarian actors on the ground indicate that at least 100,000 IDPs have arrived in Rafah over the past days, following the intensification of hostilities in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, and the IDFs evacuation orders.

· The UNRWA reports that now almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip (2.2 million people) are dependent on humanitarian assistance.

· Supplies of medical aid and food have continued to entered Gaza in the past days through Rafah crossing with Egypt:

o This included 110 trucks on December 27th and another 76 trucks on December 28th. These quantities remain well below the daily average of 500 truckloads (including fuel and private sector goods) that entered prior to October 7th. Key impediments remain on carrying out humanitarian operations inside Gaza.

o As of December 28th, the European Union humanitarian air bridge has conducted 33 flights carrying 38 tons of relief supplies.

· Healthcare and Public Health Update:

o The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that as of December 27th, 13 out of 36 hospitals are partially operational (9 in the South and 4 in the North):

ü The hospitals in the North are only offering maternity, trauma, and emergency care services. They are facing severe shortages of medical staff, supplies, food, water, and fuel.

ü The hospitals in the South are operating at three times their capacity, while facing critical shortages of basic supplies and fuel.

o Only seven of the 22 UNRWA health centers are currently operational.

o On December 26th, WHO teams conducted high-risk missions to two hospitals (Al-Shifa in the north and Al-Amal in the south) to deliver supplies:

ü These hospitals were also sheltering at least 64,000 IDPs.

o The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on December 29th, delivered 600,000 doses of vaccines.

o On December 24th, a joint UN team delivered 80,000 vials of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines.

o UNRWA reports that there is an estimated 50,000 pregnant women are in Gaza. At least 180 are giving birth daily.

· The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is reporting 2.2 million people are acutely food insecure.

· World Central Kitchen has delivered a total of 12 million meals to people in Gaza and Lebanon.

Violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Highlights:

· UNRWA reports that 21,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip.

· As of December 29th, PRCS reported that eight staff members from the Jabalia ambulance center are still being detained by the IDF.

· WHO reported a total of 294 attacks on healthcare:

o A total of 600 people were killed and 764 were injured in these attacks.

o 65 healthcare workers have been detained and arrested.

o 94 healthcare facilities have been affected and 26 hospitals were damaged.

o 76 ambulances were affected and 38 were damaged.

· On December 28th, PRCS reported that the Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis has been targeted by the IDF for the fifth time. The most recent bombardment killed 10 people and injured 12.

· A UN aid convoy was fired upon on December 28th while travelling from northern Gaza to Rafah.

· As of December 27th, a total of 142 UNRWA personnel have been killed.

· On December 22nd, a UNDP staff member (Issam Al Mughrabi) was killed by an Israeli air strike. His wife and five children were also killed.

Dis-Information Highlights:

· PolyGraph Info provided a summary of the misinformation during this conflict.

Sources:

· Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #79

· oPt Emergency Situation Update 19 (As of 29 December 2023 at 13:00)

· UNRWA Situation Report #57 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (All information from December 24- 27 December is valid as of 27 December 2023 at 22:30)

· Israeli Defense Forces Twitter Page

· Magen David Adom Twitter Page

· OCHA Palestine Occupied Territories Twitter Page

· UN Agency for Palestine Refugees Twitter Page

· WHO Occupied Palestinian Territory Twitter Page

· PolyGraph Info Twitter Page

· Food Security Cluster Twitter Page

· UNDP Palestine Twitter Page

· EU ECHO Twitter Page

· World Central Kitchen Twitter Page

Resources

UN Security Council Resolution 2720 (New)