Today's top news: Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory
#Lebanon
OCHA remains concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians as Lebanon experiences a surge in airstrikes and displacement orders.
The recent targeting of the Masnaa border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, a major axis for relief supplies coming into the country and used by families fleeing to Syria in search of safety, raises serious concerns about the protection of civilians and the targeting of critical infrastructure.
It is imperative that all civilians be allowed to flee to safer areas, and that they be protected whether they stay or leave.
These attacks not only endanger those in flight but also hinder the delivery of vital humanitarian aid, restricting access to already vulnerable populations.
The UN calls for full respect of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and unhindered humanitarian access, to ensure that life-saving assistance can reach those in need.
OCHA is concerned about the new Israeli displacement orders in the south, for areas above the Litani River and areas such as El-Buss - which hosts a Palestinian refugee camp - forcing families to flee from areas previously considered safer. With many collective shelters already full and hosting large numbers of people, host communities receiving these new arrivals are overwhelmed. The orders are also placing additional strain on national relief workers and humanitarian organizations, as access becomes more difficult - and resources to provide shelter, food and medical care are increasingly stretched thin.
Meanwhile on the health front, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns about the deteriorating situation with the disruption of flights and airspace adding challenges to bring in medical supplies. However, there were some positive developments earlier today, with WHO’s Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announcing in a social media post this morning that the first flight with WHO medical supplies – enough to treat tens of thousands of injured people – have arrived in Beirut. More flights are planned today and in the coming days.
Also on the health front, the UN Refugee Agency has delivered 60 trauma kits to hospitals treating casualties from the ongoing hostilities.
For its part, the World Food Programme has provided 90,000 people with food and more than 45,000 people with cash.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, announced today an additional $2 million from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund to address the deteriorating situation, bringing the total allocation to $12 million. This comes alongside a previous $10 million Central Emergency Response Fund allocation.
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
West Bank
OCHA says yesterday’s Israeli airstrike on a residential building in the Tulkarm refugee camp was the deadliest single incident carried out by Israeli forces in the West Bank since OCHA began systematically documenting casualties in 2005.
The Ministry of Health reports that at least 18 Palestinians – including women and children – were killed in that attack, which hit a café on the ground floor of the building.
OCHA is coordinating a visit with UN and NGO partners to the camp, where they will carry out an assessment of damages and humanitarian needs to inform emergency response efforts.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces must adhere to international policing standards, where lethal force and firearms are a last resort that can only be used against imminent threats of death or serious injury. Tactics typically used during hostilities in armed conflict are inconsistent with these standards and raise serious concerns of excessive use of force.
Gaza
OCHA says Israeli bombardment from the air, land and sea continues to be reported across the Gaza Strip – killing, injuring and displacing civilians, and destroying civilian infrastructure. That’s in addition to reported ground operations in parts of northern Gaza and around Gaza city, as well as in Deir al Balah, Rafah and Khan Younis.
On Wednesday, OCHA visited the site of an attack the previous night in the Maan area, east of Khan Younis. Our colleagues report that ambulances trying to evacuate the injured could not reach them due to the ongoing incursion. Hours later, when first responders were finally able to access the area, their bulldozer ran out of fuel while recovering bodies from beneath the rubble.
OCHA stresses that emergency teams in Gaza need to be able to save lives – and to do that, they need more fuel and equipment. They also need safe and unimpeded access.
Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said yesterday that three of its schools were hit over the previous two days. Some 20,000 people had been sheltering there, and more than 20 people were reportedly killed.
UNRWA said that since the war began, more than 140 of its schools have come under attack. The agency stressed that schools are not a target and cannot be used for any military purposes by anyone.
A new assessment this week by UNICEF and humanitarian partners found that at least 87 per cent of schools in Gaza have been directly hit or damaged since October 2023, including one third of UNRWA schools. That assessment relied on satellite imagery collected on 6 September.
Meanwhile, WHO has sent a request to Israel to begin the second phase of the vaccination campaign on 14 October. The agency expects those efforts to conclude on 29 October. WHO says discussions continue with the Israeli authorities, the Ministry of Health, and partners on the ground.