Israel/Hamas War Situation Report #53

Military and Diplomatic Highlights:

· Ongoing strikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardment across the Gaza Strip. The ground offensive continues to expand, particularly in the southern regions of Gaza City and eastern Rafah.

· As of June 24th, one Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza.

Civil Protection and Humanitarian Assistance Highlights:

· Access constraints continue to severely hamper the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance and services across Gaza.

· Between June 1-23, there was 86 planned coordinated humanitarian assistance missions to northern Gaza:

o 49% were facilitated by the Israeli authorities.

o 51% of these missions were either denied access, impeded and or cancelled for logistical, operational or security reasons.

· The ongoing Israeli military operation in Rafah is directly impacting the ability of aid agencies to bring critical humanitarian supplies into Gaza:

o Between June 18-23, three coordinated missions scheduled to pick up aid supplies from the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom Crossing were cancelled due to security concerns.

· U.S. Central Command continues to support the delivery of humanitarian supplies via the temporary pier. Over the past weekend, 1,384 metric tons of aid was delivered to the beach in Gaza.

· Healthcare and Public Health Update:

o Some of the 17 hospitals categorized as “partially functioning” in effect maintain only minimal operations.

o As of June 21st, the health systems in Gaza have lost 70% of bed capacity.

o The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) are seeking to reactivate some of their services in northern Gaza. Efforts have begun to clean up the UNRWA Jabaliya Health Centre.

o As of June 26th, the PRCS received six trucks loaded with medical aid, medicines, and health supplies from Morocco through the Karm Abu Salem crossing in the southern Gaza Strip. The PRCS will distribute these supplies to several hospitals suffering from a severe shortage of medical supplies and medicines.

o The World Health Organization (WHO) and their partners on June 24th transferred five pediatric patients (four cancer patients and a patient with second degree burns) from Al-Ahli hospital to the Nasser Medical Complex.

o There are currently over 10,000 people that require medical evacuations to healthcare facilities outside of Gaza.

· Food Security Update:

o The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report on Gaza reports that 96% of the population are facing acute food insecurity at crisis levels or higher, with almost half a million people in catastrophic conditions:

o The report indicates a slight improvement due to a scale up in emergency food and nutrition services, which have helped to reduce the very worst levels of hunger.

o There remains a high risk of famine if the conflict continues, and humanitarian access is restricted.

o As of June 25th, the UNRWA reported that more than half of the population of Gaza doesn’t have any food stored, with over 20% of the population going entire days without eating.

o The World Food Programme (WFP) continues to support the reopening of additional bakeries, including in northern Gaza.

o As of June 22nd, 12 WFP-supported bakeries are operational in Deir Al Balah, Gaza City and Jabalya.

· On June 24th, the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster received approval from the Israeli government to import 24 satellite-based staff movement tracking devices for use by the WFP.

Violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Highlights:

· As of June 24th, a total of 193 UNRWA personnel have been killed.

· On June 25th, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that Fadi Al-Wadiya who was an MSF physiotherapist was killed along with five other people while he was cycling to work:

o IDF stated without evidence that he was part of Islamic Jihad.

o He has been an MSF employee since 2018.

o Mr. Al-Wadiya was the sixth MSF staff member killed since October 7th.

· On June 22nd, the IDF shot and injured four Palestinians and arrested three others during a search-and-arrest operation in the Al Jabiriyat neighbourhood in Jenin city:

o PRCS was prevented to treat the injured.

o There is video footage of an injured individual tied to the hood of an IDF jeep while passing by two ambulances.

o The IDF reported that this incident is being investigated.

· On June 24th, Save the Children released a report that estimates that close to 21,000 children are missing in Gaza.

Sources:

· Humanitarian Situation Update #182 | Gaza Strip

· UNRWA Situation Report #115 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - All information from 20-24 June 2024, is valid as of 24 June 2024 at 22:30 (local time)

· Palestine - Conflict ETC Situation Report #34 (Reporting period: 19/06/2024 to 25/06/2024)

· Israeli Defense Forces Twitter Page

· Palestine Red Crescent Society Twitter Page

· OCHA Occupied Territories Twitter Page

· UN Agency for Palestine Refugees Twitter Page