In Occupied Palestine
Zionism in practice
Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Land
08:00, 17 March until 08:00, 18 March 2024
[Source of statistics: Palestinian Monitoring Group]
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: 81 people killed in Gaza brings the total number of deaths since 7 October to at least 31,726. With another 116 wounded, that figure has risen to 73,792. Fully accurate statistics are not available, due to insecurity menacing hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
OCHA Flash Update #141:
Key Highlights
1.1 million people in Gaza are projected to face catastrophic levels of food insecurity between March and July 2024, up from 378,000 in December 2023, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis released on 18 March.
Nutrition screenings conducted in February show acute malnutrition rates among children in northern Gaza and Rafah have nearly doubled since January.
On 18 March, the Israeli military launched an operation in the area Al Shifa Hospital, in Gaza city, and reportedly distributed leaflets instructing internally displaced persons to immediately evacuate to Al Mawasi area in southern Gaza.
Gaza Strip Updates
Intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations as well as heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups continue to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip, particularly near Al Shifa hospital in Al Rimal area of Gaza city and in Deir al Balah. This has resulted in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of houses and other civilian infrastructure. On 16 March, the Israeli army reportedly withdrew from Hamad area of Khan Younis.
Between the afternoon of 15 March and 10:30 on 18 March, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, 236 Palestinians were killed and 358 Palestinians were injured, including 81 killed and 116 injured in the past 24 hours. Between 7 October 2023 and 10:30 on 18 March 2024, at least 31,726 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 73,792 Palestinians were injured, according to MoH in Gaza.
The following are among the deadly incidents reported between 14 and 17 March:
On 14 March, at about 16:10, four Palestinians including a child were reportedly killed, and others injured, when a civilian car in Ash Sheikh Radwan area in Gaza city was hit.
On 14 March, at about 12:30, at least five Palestinians were reportedly killed, and others injured, when a house on Salah Ad Deen Road in Al Bureij refugee camp was hit.
On 14 March, the bodies of 24 Palestinians were reportedly recovered from different areas in Khan Younis, including 17 from Hamad area.
On 15 March, at about 10:50, the bodies of eight Palestinians were reportedly recovered from central Khan Younis city and Hamad area in northwestern Khan Younis.
On 15 March, at about the time when people break their daily Ramadan fast, five Palestinians were reportedly killed, and 22 others were injured, when a house sheltering internally displaced persons (IDPs) in At Touffah area, north of Gaza city, was hit.
On 15 March, at about 20:00, eight Palestinians were reportedly killed when a house in northern An Nuseirat refugee camp, in Deir al Balah, was hit.
On 15 March, at about 23:50, at least 36 Palestinians were reportedly killed, most of them said to be children and women, including pregnant women, and others injured when a residential building in Abu Ghula area in western An Nuseirat refugee camp, in Deir al Balah, was hit.
On 16 March, at about 14:00, one Palestinian woman was reportedly killed, and others injured, when IDP tents in Al Mawasi area, in Rafah, were hit.
On 16 March, at about 10:00, seven Palestinians were reportedly killed, and 10 others injured, when a house in An Nuseirat Camp, in Deir al Balah, was hit.
On 17 March, at about 1:25, at least 11 Palestinians were reportedly killed, and others injured, when a house in Bishara neighbourhood, in Deir al Balah, was hit.
Between the afternoons of 15 and 18 March, one Israeli soldier was reported killed in Gaza. As of 18 March, 248 soldiers have been killed and 1,482 soldiers injured in Gaza since the beginning of the ground operation, according to the Israeli military. In addition, over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, the vast majority on 7 October. As of 18 March, the Israeli authorities estimate that 134 Israelis and foreign nationals remain captive in Gaza, including fatalities whose bodies are withheld.
On 15 March, UNICEF reported a staggering and rapid rise in malnutrition levels among children, warning that there is a high risk that malnutrition rates will “continue to increase across the Gaza Strip, costing more lives, in the absence of more humanitarian assistance and the restoration of essential services.” Nutrition screenings conducted in February show a near doubling of acute malnutrition among children compared with January: from 16 to 31 per cent among children under the age of two in northern Gaza; from 13 to 25 per cent among children under the age of five in northern Gaza; and from 5 to 10 per cent among children under the age of two in Rafah. The rate of severe wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition that necessitates therapeutic feeding and treatment unavailable in Gaza, has also increased: from almost 3 per cent to 4.5 per cent of children in shelters and health centres in northern Gaza, and fourfold in Rafah from 1 to 4 per cent. In Khan Younis, where nutrition screenings were conducted for the first time by UNICEF and its partners, 28 per cent of children under the age of two were found to be acutely malnourished, including 10 per cent who suffer from severe wasting. In reaction to these devastating findings, UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russel, stated: “We have repeatedly attempted to deliver additional aid and we have repeatedly called for the access challenges we have faced for months to be addressed. Instead, the situation for children is getting worse by each passing day. Our efforts in providing life-saving aid are being hampered by unnecessary restrictions, and those are costing children their lives.”
According to the latest findings of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released on 18 March, nearly the entire population of Gaza is currently facing crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse levels of food insecurity, including 876,000 facing emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of food insecurity and 677,000 facing catastrophic (IPC Phase 5) levels of food insecurity. The fast-deteriorating food security conditions, including a nearly 80 per cent increase in the number of people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity (677,000 vs. 378,000) have been triggered by the intensity of hostilities, extremely limited humanitarian access, and severe limitations on the supply of goods and basic services, according to the report. During the period of March through July 2024, under the assumption that a ground offensive in Rafah takes place, the analysis finds that half the population of Gaza (1.1 million people) is projected to face catastrophic levels of insecurity; these would include 70 per cent of the population of Gaza and North Gaza governorates, 50 per cent of Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates, and 45 per cent of Rafah governorate.
On 16 and 17 March, at least 27 truckloads carrying food supplies successfully reached northern Gaza, including 15 that reportedly reached Jabalya for the first time in four months. The arrival of supplies occurred without any reported incident.
In the early morning hours of 18 March, the Israeli military announced the initiation of an operation in the area of Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, citing intelligence information suggesting the military use of the hospital by Palestinian armed groups. The Israeli Army also reportedly distributed leaflets instructing IDPs at and near the facility, as well as the residents of Al Rimal neighbourhood, to immediately evacuate to Al Mawasi area in southern Gaza. According to MoH in Gaza, a fire erupted at the entrance to the surgeries department building, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. Expressing concern about the safety of health workers, patients and civilians, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated: “Hospitals should never be battlegrounds…The hospital has only recently restored minimal health services. Any hostilities or militarization of the facility jeopardize health services, access for ambulances, and delivery of life-saving supplies. Hospitals must be protected. Ceasefire!”
West Bank Updates
On 16 March, in H2 area of Hebron City, Israeli forces shot, killed and subsequently withheld the body of an armed Palestinian who had reportedly opened fire at a military post.
Since 7 October, 419 Palestinians have been killed, including 408 by Israeli forces, nine by settlers and two by either Israeli forces or settlers, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. These include 110 Palestinians killed since the start of 2024 (compared with 85 during the same period in 2023), the vast majority by Israeli forces. Some 4690 Palestinians have been injured, including 724 children, since 7 October in the West Bank.
According to the Islamic Waqf, approximately 80,000 Palestinians performed Friday prayers at Al Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of the month of Ramadan (15 March). Access for Palestinian holders of West Bank IDs into East Jerusalem was limited to children under 10 years of age, women over 50 and men over 55, with valid permits and magnetic cards, through three designated checkpoints along the Barrier (Qalandiya, Gilo 300, Az Zaytoun).
Since 7 October, 15 Israelis, including four members of Israeli forces, have been killed and 99 injured in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Israel.
Between 7 October 2023 and 18 March 2024, approximately 300 houses were demolished and 1640 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, of whom 57 per cent were displaced since 1 January. The majority of those displaced (903) were during operations carried out by Israeli forces, especially in refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarem, followed by displacement due to the lack of Israeli-issued permits (640), and displacement due to the demolition of homes on punitive grounds (138).
Since 7 October 2023 and as of 18 March 2024, OCHA has recorded 650 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in Palestinian casualties (59 incidents), damage to Palestinian-owned property (518 incidents), or both casualties and damage to property (73 incidents). Almost two-thirds of these incidents took place between October and December 2023.
West Bank
[Palestinian Monitoring Group]
Israeli settler attack – homes under fire: Jenin – 19:15, armed Israeli Occupation settlers opened indiscriminate fire on homes in the village of Jalboun.
Israeli Army home invasions – 2 taken prisoner: Ramallah – 02:50, Israeli Occupation forces, firing stun grenades and tear gas, stormed Aroura and invaded a number of homes, taking prisoner two residents and ordering one other to report for interrogation at Israeli Military Intelligence.
Israeli Army home invasion – 1 taken prisoner: Tubas – 06:20, Israeli forces raided Tamoun and searched a house, taking prisoner one resident.
Israeli Army home invasions: Qalqiliya – 23:00, the Israeli Army raided Azzun and searched two houses.
Israeli Army home invasion: Qalqiliya – 01:15–05:05, Israeli troops raided Azzun Atma and searched a home.
Israeli Army home invasion: Bethlehem – 23:55–01:25, the Israeli military raided the villages of Harmala as well as Abu Najim and searched a house.
Israeli Army home invasions: Bethlehem – 01:30–05:00, Israeli soldiers raided Za’tara and searched two homes.
Israeli Army home invasions: Qalqiliya – 02:05, Israeli Occupation forces raided and searched several 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, stun grenades and tear gas canisters: Jerusalem – 20:30, Israeli Occupation forces fired rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades towards people, near the Shuafat checkpoint .
Israeli Army – 1 taken prisoner: Tulkarem – 15:35, Israeli forces took prisoner one person at the Einav checkpoint.
Israeli Army assault with stun grenades: Bethlehem – 22:15, the Israeli Army fired stun grenades at people, near the western entrance to Tuqu.
Israeli Army assault with rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades: Bethlehem – 22:30, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades at people, near the entrance to the village of Husan.
Occupation settler terrorism: Jerusalem – evening, Israeli Occupation settlers raided the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, placing posters on walls of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), demanding for its closure and threatening its workers.
Occupation settler violence: Nablus – 17:50, a guard from the Yitzhar Israeli Occupation settlement assaulted one person, Rasem Ahmed, west of the village of Asira al-Qibliya.
Occupation settler violence and agricultural sabotage: Salfit – 16:30, armed Israeli Occupation settlers invaded the west of Salfit, assaulting and injuring two shepherds and robbing them of 40 sheep.
Occupation settler violence: Hebron – dawn, Israeli settlers, in the Sha’b al-Batm area, east of Yatta, set fire to one person’s motor vehicle.
Occupation settler violence and agricultural sabotage: Hebron – 17:00, stone-throwing Israeli Occupation settlers invaded the south-east of Yatta, assaulting and injuring a woman, Najah Makhamreh, and smashing her mobile phone. The settlers then grazed sheep on local farmland, ruining crops.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Jerusalem – 09:25, Israeli Occupation forces raided Hizma, taking prisoner one person.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Ramallah – 23:45, Israeli forces raided Beit Gur al-Tahta, taking prisoner one person.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Ramallah – 00:55–05:40, the Israeli Army raided the village of Nabi Saleh, taking prisoner one person.
Raid: Ramallah – 05:20–06:20, Israeli troops raided and patrolled al-Bireh and Beitunya.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Ramallah – dawn, the Israeli military raided al-Mazraa al-Gharbiya, taking prisoner one person.
Raid: Jenin – 15:20, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled the village of Tura.
Raid: Jenin – 19:05–22:00, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled Araba.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Jenin – 06:00, Israeli forces raided Ya’bad, taking prisoner one person.
Raid: Tubas – 00:10, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled the village of Bardala.
Raid – 2 taken prisoner: Tulkarem – 03:40, Israeli troops raided the city as well as Attil, taking prisoner two people.
Raid: Qalqiliya – 10:10, Occupation forces raided and patrolled Hajjah village.
Raid: Qalqiliya – 11:10, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled Azzun.
Raid: Qalqiliya – 21:10, Israeli troops raided and patrolled the Hotel village.
Raid – abduction: Nablus – 00:35–03:40, the Israeli military raided the village of Tal, taking prisoner one person and abducting a 17-year-old youth: Arafat Jamal Saeed Ramadan.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Nablus – 01:05–03:40, Israeli soldiers raided Huwara, taking prisoner one person.
Raid: Salfit – 10:05, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled the city.
Raid: Salfit – 22:30, Israeli forces raided Kifl Haris and invaded a building-under-construction.
Raid – stun grenades : Bethlehem – evening, the Israeli Army, firing stun grenades, raided and patrolled al-Khadr.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner – robbery in refugee camp: Bethlehem – 04:35, Israeli troops raided the Dheisheh refugee camp, taking prisoner three people and ordering one other person, Tariq Sidqi Khamis, to report for interrogation at Israeli Military Intelligence. They also robbed a man of his motor vehicle.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Hebron – 23:10–05:00, the Israeli military raided Yatta, taking prisoner one person.
Raids – 3 taken prisoner: Hebron – 01:20, Israeli soldiers raided Hebron and al-Samou, taking prisoner three people.
YAWN!