22,835 Palestinians dead and an enclave facing destruction

First modification: 01/07/2024 – 15:54

4 min

The Gaza Strip is mired in a humanitarian crisis that has worsened after three months of direct fighting between Israel and Hamas. The situation becomes more critical with the continuous bombing of various areas, especially in the south of the enclave.

The Israeli offensive has left 22,835 Palestinians dead, according to Palestinian health officials. In the past 24 hours, 113 Palestinians were killed and 250 wounded in separate Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to the spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.

Furthermore, the recent Israeli airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza, claimed the lives of two Palestinian journalists who were covering the story. This war between Israel and Hamas has taken a heavy toll on journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). So far, 77 journalists and media workers have lost their lives: 70 Palestinians, four Israelis and three Lebanese. The Hamas-run Gaza media office reported that these two new deaths bring to 109 the number of journalists killed due to the Israeli offensive.

This conflict has displaced most of Gaza's 2.3 million people, leaving homes and civil infrastructure in ruins and acute shortages of food, water and medicine. In three months of conflict, more than 37,000 structures were identified by the United Nations as having been destroyed or damaged during the war.

For their part, figures from the Israeli authorities reveal that on October 7, 1,200 people lost their lives and 240 were taken hostage, with more than 100 still in the hands of Hamas. For Israelis, this day meant the deadliest day in their history, generating the feeling that the country's survival was at stake.

The international community facing a monumental task

In Gaza, the humanitarian community faced a daunting task: providing aid to more than two million people while facing obstacles. The UN, along with humanitarian workers from other organisations, faced loss of life, blocked communications, damaged roads, attacks on truck convoys and a near-total shortage of vital supplies.

Martin Griffiths, the UN humanitarian leader, again emphasized the organization's demands: an immediate end to the war and the release of all hostages. He called on the international community to exert its influence and ensure that these goals are met.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) noted that most young children and pregnant women were not receiving enough nutrition. Fewer than 200 aid trucks enter Gaza daily, less than half the pre-war level, and distribution is hampered by fighting.

A UNICEF survey found that 90% of children under two years of age consumed two or fewer of the five essential food groups each day, mainly bread or milk. A quarter of pregnant women admitted to consuming only one food group per day. The organization also reported an increase in cases of illness among children under five years old, rising from 48,000 to 71,000, signaling a clear indication of malnutrition.

After the Hamas attack, Israel cut off vital supplies, and although it allowed aid to pass through Egypt in late October in response to pressure from the United States, the number of trucks has increased from around 100 to up to 200 each. the days.

Israeli authorities repeatedly blamed U.N. bodies for any shortages, insisting there is enough food in the territory. However, U.N. associate spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay reiterated Friday that “the current response only meets a fraction of people's needs.”

Despite the difficulties, the UN World Food Program reported that it reached 975,000 vulnerable people with food throughout Gaza and the West Bank in December. In response to the crisis, some international efforts are turning to airdrops of supplies, such as the recent joint operation between French and Jordanian aircraft that dropped seven tons of medical aid to the Jordanian field hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis.

With Reuters, AP and local media