Military and Diplomatic Highlights:
· Between April 22-24, one Israeli solider was killed in Gaza.
· On April 24th, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck 40 Hezbollah targets. This included storage facilities, weapons, and additional infrastructure.
· The Israeli Air Force targeted two Hamas launch sites in a humanitarian zone in Southern Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that this attack killed 14 people and 50 people were injured.
· The IDF killed two Hezbollah leaders, they were:
o Hussein Ali Azkul: He was heavily involved in the planning and execution of terrorist attacks against Israel and was involved in Hezbollah's aerial unit.
o Sajed Sarafand: He was part of the Radwan Forces' aerial unit.
· Major General Aharon Haliva, Head of the Israeli Intelligence Directorate resigned his position for the October 7th Terrorist Attack. He had served for 38 years with the IDF.
Civil Protection and Humanitarian Assistance Highlights:
· On April 22nd, the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that 310 trucks of aid entered Gaza. This is the highest number of trucks since the war began. The UNRWA is advocating that aid supplies should continue to increase and that these trucks should include both commercial and humanitarian supplies so that markets can re-open.
· The IDF ordered the residents of seven blocks in Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza to evacuate to two adjacent blocks on April 23rd:
o The seven blocks (1.85 square kilometers) were home to 18,300 Palestinians before October 7th.
o The two blocks to which residents were ordered to evacuate have an estimated area of 0.85 square kilometers and currently encompass three schools, including one UNRWA school, and the Indonesian Hospital, which reportedly host Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
· Healthcare and Public Health Update:
o Medical Evacuations (April 24th):
ü Only 54% of cases for which medical evacuations were requested have been approved by Israeli authorities (5,263 out of 9,817).
ü Out of all approved patients, 82% have been evacuated outside Gaza (4,325). The remaining 18% could not yet be evacuated due to movement restrictions or limitations on individuals who may accompany them:
Ø These limitations span from age restrictions, which have at times prevented essential evacuations of newborn babies, to the requirement for companions to have passports, in a context in which an estimated 30 to 40% of people in Gaza have lost their identification documents during displacement.
o As of April 23rd, 31 out of 36 hospitals have sustained damage.
o Medical Resource Shortages:
ü Health facilities are still experiencing shortages of personnel and basic supplies. On April 18th, Medical Aid for Palestinians stressed that doctors are now forced to re-use medical equipment that is designed for single use.
ü There are also shortages of strong pain relief medications, steroid creams, and antibiotic ointments. These shortages are hampering the treatment of simple diseases and forcing children to endure limb salvage surgeries with inadequate pain relief.
o The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) is continuing to distribute infant milk to hospitals. Deliveries were made to several hospitals, to include:
ü Emirati Hospital
ü Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital
ü European Gaza Hospital
ü Alawda Clinic
o PRCS is also distributing hygiene kits to some shelter schools in Central Gaza. This effort was funded by the German Red Cross.
· Food Security Update:
o UNRWA reported on April 23rd, that four bakeries were reopened in Northern Gaza with assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP).
o The WFP is providing food to more than a million people in Gaza each month, this includes:
ü Ready-to-eat food parcels.
ü Hot meals
ü Wheat flour
ü Specialized products to address malnutrition.
· As of April 23rd, over a million people have lost their homes and 75% of the population has been displaced.
· PRCS is distributing clothing to hundreds of IDPs through two distribution points.
Violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Highlights:
· The IDF reports that 133 people are still being held as hostages by Hamas.
· As of April 21st, a total of 180 UNRWA employees have been killed.
· There have been at least 435 attacks on health facilities or personnel across Gaza in the last six months, equivalent to 73 attacks every month since the war began on October 7th.
· There are reports of two mass graves being uncovered at the Nasser and Al-Shifa hospitals:
o 324 bodies have been uncovered at Nasser Hospital.
o 30 bodies have been uncovered at the Al-Shifa Hospital.
o There are reports that some of the bodies were found with their hands restrained.
o The IDF has stated that these claims are misinformation, and the graves were dug months ago by Palestinians. The IDF referred to this video posted on Twitter as proof.
o The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is demanding an investigation.
Sources:
· Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #157
· WFP Palestine Emergency Response External Situation Report #18 (23 April 2024)
· UNRWA Situation Report #103 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - All information from 18–21 April 2024, is valid as of 21 April 2024 at 22:30
· Mass graves in Gaza show victims’ hands were tied, says UN rights office
· Israeli Defense Forces Twitter Page
· Palestine Red Crescent Society Twitter Page
· UN Agency for Palestine Refugees Twitter Page
· OCHA Occupied Territories Twitter Page
· WHO Occupied Territories Twitter Page
Resources
Verification of damages to schools based on proximity to damaged sites - Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territory (25 April 2024) (New)
FAO, On the ground in Gaza Website
ADL, We Stand with Israel Website
Monetary Donations:
Before you donate please review the organization’s track record by using CharityWatch and Charity Navigator.
· UN Crisis Relief, Occupied Palestinian Territories
· IsraAID
· WHO Foundation, Gaza Crisis: Help Save Lives
· UN Migration Agency, Gaza