Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #81

Key points

• On 30 December, heavy Israeli bombardment from air, land, and sea, continued across most of the Gaza Strip, especially in the refugee camps in central Gaza. The firing of rockets by Palestinian armed groups into Israel also continued. Ground operations and intense fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups, with airstrikes and missiles striking housing units and infrastructure, reportedly resulted in high numbers of fatalities. This occurred in areas where Palestinians have relocated following orders from Israeli forces to move from northern Gaza.

• Between the afternoons of 29 and 30 December, 165 Palestinians were killed, and another 250 people were injured, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza. Overall, between 7 October and 7:00 on 30 December, at least 21,672 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, according to the MoH in Gaza. About 70 per cent of those killed are said to be women and children. As of then, 56,165 Palestinians have reportedly been injured. Many people are missing, presumably buried under the rubble, waiting for rescue or recovery.

• On 30 December, the Israeli military announced that one additional soldier had been killed in Gaza and one had succumbed to injuries sustained last week. Overall, since the start of the ground operation, 168 soldiers have been killed, and 955 soldiers injured in Gaza, according to the Israeli military.

• On 30 December, the MoH in Gaza declared that it had succeeded in resuming some services, increasing thereby the capacity of a number of hospitals in the north of Gaza, including Al Ahli Arab Hospital, the Patients Friends charity hospital, Al Helou International hospital, and Al Awda hospital, in addition to a number of other primary care centres. This occurred amidst great risks surrounding the movement and work of medical teams due to the continuous bombing of residential neighborhoods and the vicinity of health facilities. Furthermore, the MoH in Gaza, UNRWA and WHO are coordinating on a plan for the reactivation of health centres to meet the needs of displaced people in all places of displacement.

• On 30 December, the MoH in Gaza emphasized the need to prioritize the evacuation of more than 5,300 wounded and sick people who are facing serious and complex medical conditions in Gaza. The objective is to facilitate getting them adequate care. The MoH and WHO are attempting to find effective mechanisms with all parties to facilitate the exit of the wounded and sick for treatment abroad.

• On 30 December, 103 trucks with food and medical supplies entered Gaza. The volume of aid remains woefully inadequate. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator declared “that this is an impossible situation for the people of Gaza and for those trying to help them. The fighting must stop.”

• On the morning of 29 December, the Director of UNRWA’s Gaza Field Office announced that Israeli forces had fired at an aid convoy that was returning from northern Gaza and had been taking a route which was designated by the Israeli army. While no one was injured, one vehicle sustained damage. The UNRWA director reiterated that aid workers should never be a target. The Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator condemned this attack by stating: “The convoy was clearly marked and its movements were coordinated with the parties. Attacks on humanitarian workers are unlawful. The conflict must stop.”