In Occupied Palestine

Zionism in practice

Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Land

08:00, on 15 January until 08:00, 16 January 2024

[Source of statistics: Palestinian Monitoring Group]

Gaza Strip

Armed Palestinian Resistance: Palestinian Resistance continued launching dozens of missiles towards the Green Line.

Air strikes: Heavy aerial bombardment on buildings, homes and many facilities.

Attacks: All over Gaza there are air strikes, heavy gunfire, tank and artillery shelling, as well as missiles fired from Israeli forces and military occupation, especially in Khan Yunis. The Israeli Navycontinues to fire missiles, targeting facilities and buildings along the shoreline of the whole of Gaza.

Victims: 158 people killed in Gaza brings the total number of deaths since 7 October to at least 24,285. With another 320 wounded, that has risen to 61,154. Fully accurate statistics are not available due to insecurity menacing hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

OCHA Flash Update #94

Between the afternoons of 15 and 16 January, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, 158 Palestinians were killed, and another 320 people were injured. Between 7 October 2023 and 12:00 on 16 January 2024, at least 24,285 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 61,154 Palestinians were injured, according to the MoH.

Between 15 January and 16 January, one Israeli soldier was reportedly killed in Gaza and another soldier succumbed to wounds sustained about a month earlier. Since the start of the ground operation, 188 soldiers have been killed, and 1,135 soldiers have been injured in Gaza, according to the Israeli military.

As of 15 January, only one of the three water pipelines from Israel into Gaza is functioning. The Deir al Balah water pipeline, with a capacity of close to 17,000 cubic metres of water per day, urgently needs repairs. Water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) partners have estimated that repairs could take up to four weeks, even allowing for sustained access and the necessary supplies.

As of 16 January, telecommunication services in Gaza have remained shut down for the fourth consecutive day, since 12 January. This is the seventh time that communications have stopped working since 7 October. The blackout of telecommunications deprives people in Gaza from accessing lifesaving information, preventing people from calling for first responders and impedes other forms of humanitarian response.

On 15 January, WFP Executive Director, stated that, “people in Gaza risk dying of hunger just miles from trucks filled with food. Every hour lost puts countless lives at risk. We can keep famine at bay but only if we can deliver sufficient supplies and have safe access to everyone in need, wherever they are.” The latest Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Phase Classification (IPC) report confirmed that the entire population of Gaza, is in ‘crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity.’ The same day, the heads of the WFP, UNICEF and WHO, released a joint statement urging the opening of new entry routes, allowing more commodity-border checks each day, easing restrictions on the movement of humanitarian workers and guaranteeing the safety of people accessing and distributing aid. Humanitarian assistance in Gaza is limited by the closure of all but two border crossings in the south (Rafah and Kerem Shalom) and multi-layered vetting process for commodities transported into Gaza.

On 15 January, UNICEF Executive Director, said that, “children at high risk of dying from malnutrition and disease desperately need medical treatment, clean water, and sanitation services, but the conditions on the ground do not allow us to safely reach children and families in need. Some of the material we desperately need to repair and increase water supply remain restricted from entering Gaza. The lives of children and their families are hanging in the balance. Every minute counts.” UNICEF projects that child wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, could affect 10,000 children in the next few weeks. Additionally, UNICEF has warned that children in southern Gaza are accessing only 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day, well below the recommended requirements for survival. According to humanitarian standards, the minimum amount of water needed in an emergency is 15 litres, which includes water for drinking, washing, and cooking. For survival alone, the estimated minimum is three litres per day.

On 16 January, in a joint statement, a number of UN Special Rapporteurs said: “Currently every single person in Gaza is hungry, a quarter of the population are starving and struggling to find food and drinkable water, and famine is imminent. Pregnant women are not receiving adequate nutrition and healthcare, putting their lives at risk. In addition, all children under five – 335,000 – are at high risk of severe malnutrition as the risk of famine conditions continues to increase, a whole generation is now in danger of suffering from stunting.”

On 15 January 2024, UNRWA announced that, as of 12 January, the total number of UNRWA staff killed since the beginning of hostilities had increased by four to 150. Furthermore, they stated that 232 incidents impacting UNRWA premises and people inside them had been reported since 7 October (some with multiple incidents affecting the same location), including at least 23 incidents of military use of UNRWA premises. A total of 66 UNRWA installations had been directly hit, and 69 different installations had sustained damage from hits to adjacent objects.

On 15 January, the Secretary-General stated: “Since 7 October, 152 UN staff members have been killed in Gaza – the largest single loss of life in the history of our organization — a heart-wrenching figure and a source of deep sorrow. Still, aid workers, under enormous pressure and with no safety guarantees, are doing their best to deliver inside Gaza. We continue to call for rapid, safe, unhindered, expanded and sustained humanitarian access into and across Gaza.”

Hostilities and casualties (Gaza Strip)

The following are among the deadliest incidents reported on 15 January.

On 15 January, in the early morning, 20 people, the majority women and children were reported killed, when a house was struck in As Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza city,

On 15 January, at about 13:30, six people were reportedly killed and 11 injured when a house was struck in Az Zaytoun neighbourhood east of Gaza city.

On 15 January, at about 20:00, four people were reportedly killed when Al Bureij Refugee Camp, central Gaza, was struck.

On 15 January, at about 19:00, 12 people were reportedly killed and another 12 injured when a house was struck between the towns of Khan Younis and Rafah was struck.

Displacement (Gaza Strip)

As of 11 January, according to UNRWA, 1.9 million people, or nearly 85 per cent of Gaza’s population, were estimated to be internally displaced, including many who have been displaced multiple times, as families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety. Nearly 1.4 million IDPs are sheltering in 154 UNRWA facilities across all five governorates, including 160,000 in the north and Gaza city; facilities far exceeding their intended capacity. A total of 1.78 million IDPs are receiving assistance from UNRWA. Rafah governorate is the main refuge for those displaced, with over one million people squeezed into an extremely overcrowded space, following the intensification of hostilities in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah and the Israeli military’s evacuation orders. Obtaining an accurate figure of the total number of IDPs remains challenging.

On 12 January, UNRWA reported that the average number of IDPs in UNRWA shelters south of Wadi Gaza was over 12,000 per shelter. This is more than four times their capacity.

Humanitarian Access (Gaza Strip-Northern Gaza)

In the first two weeks of January, humanitarian agencies planned 29 missions to deliver lifesaving supplies to areas to the north of Wadi Gaza. Only 7 of the 29 (24 per cent) were accomplished, either fully or partially. The remainder of the missions were denied access by the Israeli authorities. Two additional missions, originally coordinated with the Israeli authorities, could not be completed due to the non-viability of allocated routes or excessive delays at checkpoints, which did not allow the missions to succeed during the safe operating windows.

The denials of humanitarian missions to areas north of Wadi Gaza over the first half of January mark a stark decline compared with the previous months (October-December), when only 14 per cent (6 out of 43) of missions planned to the north were denied, while the remaining 86 per cent (37 out of 43 missions) were facilitated. These denials prevent a scale-up in humanitarian assistance and add significant cost to the overall response. Additionally, planned missions that are denied access to areas north of Wadi Gaza represent opportunities missed for alternative missions that could be undertaken to other areas of the Gaza Strip. The capacity of humanitarian agencies to operate safely and effectively also remains heavily compromised by the long-term restrictions applied by the Israeli authorities on the import of critical humanitarian equipment into Gaza.

HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND RESPONSES: 7-14 January

Health needs:

According to WHO, only 15 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional – nine in the south and six in the north.

According to the MoH in Gaza, there is a shortage of available hospital beds, as occupancy rates in these hospitals are reaching 206 per cent in inpatient departments and 250 per cent in intensive care units.

Food, drinking water, fuel, medical supplies, and support to health workers through rotations and additional personnel, are urgently needed in healthcare facilities across Gaza.

During missions to Shifa, Al Helou, Al Aqsa and Nasser hospitals to deliver supplies, fuel, and conduct assessments on 13 January, the WHO team observed the following:

A drastic decrease in the number of health personnel in some of the hospitals.

Only 12 medical doctors are still working at the Al Aqsa hospital, which is about 10 per cent of the staff who operated before the start of the hostilities.

The maternity unit at Al-Aqsa Hospital is not operating and is referring all pregnant women to Al Awda Hospital, which is further away, putting patients at risks during the additional travel time, due to ongoing hostilities.

Poor living conditions in shelters have resulted in a rise in water-borne diseases.

Settler Violence

Since 7 October 2023 and as of 16 January 2024, OCHA recorded 430 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in Palestinian casualties (41 incidents), damage to Palestinian-owned property (336 incidents), or both casualties and damage to property (53 incidents). This reflects a daily average of four incidents since 7 October 2023 until 16 January 2024.

One-third of the settler attacks against Palestinians after 7 October 2023, involved firearms, including shootings and threats of shootings. In nearly half of all recorded incidents after 7 October, Israeli forces were either accompanying or reported to be supporting the attackers.

In 2023, 1,229 incidents involving Israeli settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (with or without Israeli forces), resulted in Palestinian casualties, property damage or both. Some 913 of these incidents resulted in damage, 163 resulted in casualties and 153 resulted in both. This is the highest number of settler attacks against Palestinians in any given year since OCHA started recording incidents involving settlers in 2006.

Displacement (West Bank)

From 7 October 2023 and as of 16 January 2024, at least 198 Palestinian households comprising 1,208 people, including 586 children, have been displaced amid settler violence and access restrictions. The displaced households are from at least 15 herding/Bedouin communities. More than half of the displacements occurred on 12, 15, and 28 October, affecting seven communities. The displacement toll since 7 October 2023, represents 78 per cent of all displacement reported due to settler violence and access restrictions since 1 January 2023 (1,539 people, including 756 children).

From 7 October 2023 and as of 16 January 2024, 465 Palestinians, including 233 children, have been displaced, following the demolition of their homes, due to lack of Israeli-issued building permits in Area C and East Jerusalem, which are almost impossible to obtain.

A total of 19 homes have been demolished and 95 Palestinians, including 42 children, displaced due to punitive demolitions from 7 October 2023 and as of 16 January 2024. The numbers exceed those reported in the first nine months of the same year, during which 16 homes were punitively demolished and 78 people displaced.

From 7 October 2023 and as of 16 January 2024, 602 Palestinians, including 263 children, have been displaced, following the destruction of 94 homes during other operations carried out by Israeli forces across the West Bank. About 94 per cent of the displacement was reported in the refugee camps of Jenin, and in Nur Shams and Tulkarm, both in Tulkarm. This represents 65 per cent of all displacement reported due to the destruction of homes during Israeli military operations since January 2023 (908 people).

West Bank

[Palestinian Monitoring Group]

Israeli Army attack – 1 wounded: Jerusalem – 12:00, Israeli Occupation forces opened fire on, and wounded a man, Muhammad Sidqi Tawam, at the Jaba’ checkpoint.

Israeli Army attack – 1 wounded: Ramallah – 15:30, Israeli forces stormed Beit Liqiya, wounding a resident: Walid Ibrahim Badr.

Israeli Army attack – 1 killed – 1 wounded: Tulkarem – 15:35, the Israeli Army opened fire on a vehicle passing through the Einav checkpoint, killing one person, Faris Mahmoud Abdullah Khalifa, and wounding another: Ali Othman Khaled Malitat.

Israeli Army attack – 2 youngsters wounded: Tulkarem – 19:45–00:50, Israeli troops stormed Quffin, wounding two 17-year-old youths: Mujahid Alaa Hamza Harsha and Jad Muhammad Hamza Yassin.

Israeli Army attack – 1 child and 1 other youngster wounded: Nablus – 12:30, the Israeli military stormed Nablus and invaded a home, wounding four residents: 10-year-old Ward Muhammad Subhi Rajab, 16-year-old Rami Faisal Khudair, Qais Nasr al-Din Ahmed Kamal and Hamza Sami Diri.

Israeli Army attack – 1 wounded – 1 taken prisoner: Nablus – 00:10–04:55, Israeli soldiers, raiding the city and firing live ammunition, wounded one person, Hisham Hosni Rashid Abdo, and took prisoner one other.

Israeli Army attack – 2 killed – 9 wounded: Hebron – 13:55, the Israeli Army, storming Dura, killed a man, Muhammad Hassan Ibrahim Abu Sebaa, as well as a woman, Ahed Mahmoud Youssef Muhammad. Israeli forces also wounded nine other people, including a news reporter.

Home invasion, demolition order and 1 taken prisoner: Ramallah – 02:15–05:45, Israeli Occupation forces raided the city and took measurements in preparation for demolishing the home of a prisoner: Aysar Barghouti. One resident was taken prisoner.

Home invasions – 1 taken prisoner: Jenin – midnight-03:45, the Israeli Army raided Jalboun village, invading a number of homes and taking prisoner one resident.

Home invasions – 1 beaten: Nablus – 18:40–22:35, Israeli troops raided Beita, invading homes and beating–up a resident: Hassan Daoud.

Home invasions – 2 injured, 1 taken prisoner in refugee camp: Jericho – 01:00–03:35, the Israeli military raided the Ein al-Sultan refugee camp and invaded a number of homes, injuring two residents and taking prisoner one other.

Home invasion – population–control: Bethlehem – 22:00–23:40, Israeli soldiers raided the village of al-Jaba’a, invaded one home and ordered the resident, Youssef Abu Rafia, to report for interrogation at Israeli Military Intelligence.

Home invasions and occupation: Bethlehem – Occupation settlers seized, as well as forcing the owners out of, around ten cave–dwellings in Tuqu, Za’tara and the villages of al-Rashaida, Keysan and Beit Tamar.

Home invasions: Hebron – 09:30, Israeli Occupation forces raided the city and invaded a number of homes.

Israeli police and settlers’ mosque violation: Jerusalem – 08:00, settler militants, escorted by Israeli police, invaded the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and molested worshippers.

Israeli Army assault with rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades: Jerusalem – 15:30, Israeli Occupation forces, in al-Ram, fired rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades at people.

Israeli Army agricultural sabotage: Jenin – 11:40, Israeli forces bulldozed farmland, as well as a greenhouse housing vegetable crops, in the village of al-Jalama.

Occupation settler stoning: Ramallah – 16:50, Israeli Occupation settlers stoned passing vehicles, near the Uyoun al-Haramiya road junction, causing damage.

Occupation settler sabotage: Ramallah – 20:20, Israeli settlers invaded the outskirts of Turmusaya and destroyed solar-power cells.

Occupation settler stoning: Ramallah – 22:30, Israeli settlers stoned passing vehicles at the Rawabi roundabout.

Occupation settler vandalism: Ramallah – dawn, Israeli settlers raided Sinjil and smashed the windows of a number of motor vehicles.

Occupation settler stoning: Qalqiliya – 15:25, Israelis, from the Kedumim Occupation settlement, stoned passing vehicles at the nearby roundabout.

Occupation settler beating – pastoral sabotage: Nablus – afternoon, Israelis,from the Yitzhar Occupation settlement, beat-up a shepherd grazing his flock on Madama village pastoral land.

Occupation settler stoning: Nablus – evening, Israelis, from the Yitzhar Occupation settlement, stoned passing vehicles at the nearby Husan roundabout.

Raid – 2 taken prisoner: Ramallah – 03:15, Israeli Occupation forces raided the village of Beit Sira, taking prisoner two people.

Raid – 3 taken prisoner – 1 youngster abducted: Ramallah – 03:35–05:45, Israeli forces raided Ni’lin, taking prisoner three people and abducting a 17-year-old youth: Muhammad Mutee Falah Amira.

Raid: Jenin – 11:40-16:10, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled the village of Bir al-Basha.

Raid: Jenin – 14:05-16:45, Israeli troops raided and patrolled Silat al-Dahr.

Raid – 4 taken prisoner – 1 youngster abducted: Jenin – 03:35–05:25, the Israeli military raided Ya’bad, taking prisoner four people, as well as a 17-year-old youth: Yamen Muhammad Abu Bakr.

Raid: Jenin – midnight, Israeli soldiers, raided the village of Faqua.

Raid – rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades: Tulkarem – 22:55–00:50, Israeli Occupation forces, firing rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades, raided Anabta.

Raid – 2 taken prisoner: Qalqiliya – 02:30–05:55, Israeli forces raided the city, taking prisoner two people.

Raid – stun grenades: Nablus – 00:50–04:20, the Israeli Army, firing stun grenades, raided and patrolled Beit Furik.

Raid: Salfit – 11:15, Israeli troops raided and patrolled Qarawat Bani Hassan.

Raid: Salfit – 20:20–00:40, the Israeli military raided and patrolled Haris village.

Raid: Nablus – 13:10, Israeli soldiers raided the village of Zawata and surrounded a house.

Raid: Nablus – 21:15–22:55, Israeli Occupation forces raided the village of Zawata, beating–up one resident, Walid Hamad Joudah, and taking prisoner one other.

Raid – abduction: Jericho – 13:30, Israeli forces raided the village of Fasayil and abducted a 17-year-old youth: Adham Ayesh Muhammad Nawara.

Raid – rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades fired: Bethlehem – 16:45, the Israeli Army, firing rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades raided and patrolled the village of Husan.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Hebron – 22:20, Israeli troops raided Bani Naim, taking prisoner one person.

Raid – 2 taken prisoner: Hebron – 01:30–07:50, the Israeli military raided the city, taking prisoner two people.

Raid – 14 taken prisoner: Hebron – 02:40, Israeli soldiers raided Idhna, taking prisoner 14 people.

Raid – 3 taken prisoner: Hebron – 05:05–10:05, Israeli Occupation forces raided Dura, taking prisoner three people.