In Occupied Palestine

Zionism in practice

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

08:00, 18 February until 08:00, 19 February 2024

[Source of statistics: Palestinian Monitoring Group]

Gaza Strip

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: 107 people killed in Gaza brings the total number of deaths since 7 October to at least 29,092. With another 145 wounded, that has risen to 69,028. Fully accurate statistics are not available, due to insecurity menacing hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

OCHA Flash Update #121

Key points

Intense Israeli bombardment from air, land and sea continues to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Widespread ground operations and heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups also continue to be reported, especially in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. Between 17 and 19 February, tens of rockets were also reportedly fired by armed Palestinians toward Israel.

Between the afternoon of 16 February and noon on 19 February, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, 234 Palestinians were killed and 350 Palestinians were injured, including 107 killed and 145 injured in the last 24 hours. Between 7 October 2023 and noon on 19 February 2024, at least 29,092 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 69,028 Palestinians were injured, according to MoH in Gaza.

As of February 2024, according to the Israel Prison Service (IPS), there are nearly 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli custody, including 3,484 administrative detainees (39 per cent) held without trial. These figures do not include detainees from the Gaza Strip held by the Israeli military.

Between the afternoons of 16 and 19 February, one Israeli soldier was reported killed in Gaza. As of 19 February, 233 soldiers have been killed and 1,373 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, according to the Israeli authorities, the vast majority on 7 October. As of 19 February, the Israeli authorities estimate that about 134 Israelis and foreign nationals remain captive in Gaza and reportedly include fatalities whose bodies are being withheld.

As of 19 February, the Israeli military operation in the Nasser Hospital complex in Khan Younis continues. On 18 February, the UN and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) visited the hospital and evacuated 14 patients. Prior to that, WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reported that a WHO team was not permitted to enter the hospital to assess the conditions of the patients and critical medical needs, despite reaching the hospital compound to deliver fuel. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israeli forces have arrested 70 medical personnel, including an intensive care doctor and the Director of Surgery, and eight patients died due to the depletion of oxygen. Negotiations are ongoing to allow for the evacuation of the remaining patients. The Israeli military stated that it had discovered weapons and a vehicle taken from an Israeli kibbutz on 7 October inside the compound, had arrested hundreds of suspects, and was providing medical supplies and resources to the hospital.

The situation in Al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis continues to be critical, following a 28-day siege by the Israeli military. On 19 February, PRCS reported a decrease in fuel reserves to generate electricity for high-risk patients and a near exhaustion of food supplies. On 18 February, PRCS reported that the third floor of the hospital sustained damage by artillery shelling and the destruction of the central maintenance room. On 17 February, PRCS published images showing signs of what they assess to be torture of two doctors who had been detained from Al Amal hospital by Israeli forces on 9 February. Twelve PRCS staff members continue to be detained by Israeli forces, according to PRCS. Notwithstanding the lack of blood units and medical personnel, the medical team successfully performed an urgent cesarian section for a pregnant woman at Al Amal hospital on 16 February.

Public health concerns are reportedly mounting across Gaza, disproportionately affecting women. This is due to continued bombardment, the lack of essential food and water supplies, the collapsing health system, and limited access to those in need of urgent assistance. On 16 February, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted that 500,000 cases of communicable disease, including meningitis and acute diarrhoea, have been reported across Gaza, emphasizing the particular vulnerabilities facing women: “Everyone in Gaza is hungry, including 50,000 pregnant women, with malnutrition making them more susceptible to disease and less able to recover.” Underscoring the immense risks facing pregnant women in Gaza, UNFPA warned: “If the bombs don’t kill pregnant women, if disease, hunger and dehydration don’t catch up with them, simply giving birth could.”

As of 17 February, up to 1.7 million people have been displaced across the Gaza Strip, many multiple times, according to UNRWA. Following intense Israeli bombardment and fighting in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah in recent days, a significant number of Palestinians has moved to Rafah, where the influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has overwhelmed the capacity of health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to meet the needs of the population. Between 150 and 155 UNRWA installations continue to shelter IDPs in extremely overcrowded conditions. According to the Education Cluster, some 92 per cent of all school buildings in Gaza are being used as shelters for IDPs and/or have sustained varying levels of damage during the conflict. UNRWA estimates that at least 396 IDPs sheltering in its shelters have been killed and at least 1,383 injured since 7 October and 158 UNRWA staff members killed during this period.

Hostilities and casualties (Gaza Strip)

The following are among the deadliest incidents reported between 16 and 18 February:

On 16 February, in the early morning, seven Palestinians were reportedly killed, and others injured, when a residential building in An Naser neighbourhood, in northern Rafah, was hit.

On 16 February, at about 20:00, at least ten Palestinians were reportedly killed, when a residential building in northern Gaza city was hit.

On 17 February, at about 10:30, seven Palestinians were reportedly killed, when a residential building in Ash Sheikh Redwan neighbourhood, in Gaza city, was struck.

On 17 February, at about 15:00, 20 Palestinians were reportedly killed, when a number of residential buildings in An Nuseirat Camp, in Deir al Balah, were hit.

On 17 February, at about 15:20, ten Palestinians were reportedly killed, when a residential building in Deir al Balah was hit.

On 17 February, at about 19:00, seven Palestinians, including two children and one woman, were reportedly killed, and other were injured, when a residence that was reportedly sheltering IDPs, in eastern Rafah, was hit.

On 18 February, at about 5:30, seven Palestinians were reportedly killed, when a residential building in Az Zawayda, in Deir al Balah, was hit. Forty other people have reportedly remained under the rubble.

West Bank Updates

On 16 February, two Israeli men were shot and killed in southern Israel, and four others including a child were injured, by a Palestinian man from Shu’fat refugee camp in East Jerusalem. The Palestinian man was then shot and killed by an armed Israeli civilian. Following the incident, Israeli forces closed the checkpoint leading to Shu’fat Refugee camp and raided the camp.

On 18 February, Israeli forces, including undercover units, shot and killed two Palestinian men in Tulkarm Refugee camp, during an exchange of fire with a Palestinian man whose body was later withheld by Israeli forces. The second fatality was an unarmed Palestinian who was reportedly killed by an Israeli army sniper while standing on the rooftop of his house. The four-hour military operation took place during school hours, impacting 1,356 pupils and 61 education staff inside four UNRWA schools in the camp. Also on 18 February, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man at Beit Furik checkpoint in Nablus. According to the Israeli military, the man was asked to stop and was shot when he refused to do so. Israeli forces withheld the body of the man for three hours.

Since 7 October 2023 and as of 18 February, 393 Palestinians have been killed, including 100 children, and 4,511 Palestinians, including 699 children, have been injured in conflict-related incidents across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. During the same period, 12 Israelis, including four members of Israeli forces, were killed and 80 injured in conflict-related incidents in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.

Since 7 October 2023 and as of 16 February, OCHA has recorded 558 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in Palestinian casualties (50 incidents), damage to Palestinian-owned property (447 incidents), or both casualties and damage to property (61 incidents).

Since 7 October 2023, 524 people, including 256 children, have been displaced in Area C and East Jerusalem after their homes were demolished due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible to obtain.

On 13 February, four Palestinian houses were rendered uninhabitable by Israeli bulldozers during a raid on Jenin refugee camp. Some 16 Palestinians were displaced, including three children. Roads inside the camp were also bulldozed, causing significant damage to sewage networks. Since 7 October 2023, 830 Palestinians, including 337 children, have been displaced, following the destruction of 131 homes during operations carried out by Israeli forces across the West Bank. About 95 per cent of the displacement was reported in the refugee camps of Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarm.

West Bank

[Palestinian Monitoring Group]

Israeli Army attack – 2 killed, 4 wounded: Tulkarem – 10:00–15:55, Israeli Occupation forces raided the Nour Shams refugee camp, laying siege to a house and killing two people: Nabil Atta Muhammad Amer (aged 19) and Muhammad Ahmed Fayez Al-Awfi. Four other residents were wounded: Firas Imad Abu Jaish, Haitham Nour al-Din Mahmoud Balidi, Imran Riyad Hassan Haroun and Ahmed Awad Muqbil Ghanem.

Israeli Army attack – 1 killed: Nablus – 19:10, Israeli forces, at the Beit Furik checkpoint, opened fire on a vehicle, killing a member of the Palestinian Civil Police: Anas Jamil Ahmed Dweikat.

Armed Israeli settler attack – armed robbery: Nablus – 10:35, Israeli settlers raided an area between the villages of Urif and Asira al-Qibliya, opening random fire and stealing a motor vehicle.

Israeli settler attack: Nablus – a guard, from the Rahalim Occupation settlement, opened fire towards one person, Khalil Hussein Al-Najjar, in the village of Yatma.

Israeli settler attack – pastoral sabotage – population–control: Bethlehem – morning, near the village of al-Minya, armed Israeli Occupation settlers opened fire towards shepherds and forced them off pastoral land.

Home invasion by settlers: Nablus – midnight, Israeli settlers invaded the southern outskirts of Jalloud village and broke down the entrance doors to a house.

Israeli Army home invasions: Hebron – 12:45, Israeli Occupation forces raided al-Samou and invaded a number of homes.

Israeli Army home invasion: Hebron – 13:00, Israeli forces raided the city and searched a house.

Israeli Army home invasions: Hebron – 21:25, the Israeli Army again raided al-Samou and invaded a number of homes.

Occupation settler violence – pastoral sabotage: Nablus – Israeli Occupation settlers invaded land between the villages of Tal and Sarra, terrorising a shepherd and threatening to seize his flock.

Occupation settler population–control: Nablus – Israeli settlers closed the bridge road leading to the Soufan family home, south of Burin village.

Occupation settler racist vandalism: Salfit – dawn, Israeli settlers stormed the village of Marda, attempting to set fire to a motor vehicle and a tractor, as well as spraying racist hate-messages on the walls of a house.

Occupation settler pepper–spraying: Salfit – Israeli settlers pepper–sprayed motorists, outside the Za’tara checkpoint.

Occupation settler settlement growth: Jericho – Israeli settlers carried out excavation and settlement expansion on a pastoral settlement outpost in the al-Ma’arjat area, west of Jericho.

Occupation settler arson – agricultural sabotage: Hebron – 12:40, Israeli settlers raided farmland, in the al-Taybeh area of Tarqumiya, and set fire to farm buildings.

Occupation settler violence – pastoral sabotage: Hebron – evening, Israeli Occupation settlers, in the Wadi al-Jawaya area, assaulted shepherds and forced them off the land, which they threatened to seize.

Raid – surveillance: Jerusalem – 10:50–16:15, Israeli Occupation forces raided Anata and seized surveillance–camera recordings from a number of shops.

Raid: Ramallah – 18:20, Israeli forces raided and patrolled Silwad.

Raid – 3 taken prisoner: Ramallah – 01:10–04:10, the Israeli Army raided Beit Rima, taking prisoner three people.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Ramallah – 04:15, Israeli troops raided the city, taking prisoner one person.

Raid: Tulkarem – 21:45–01:10, the Israeli military raided and patrolled Quffin.

Raid: Qalqiliya – 21:35, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled the village of Hajjah.

Raid: Qalqiliya – 00:50–03:55, Israeli Occupation forces raided the city, taking prisoner one person.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Qalqiliya – 01:30–03:55, Israeli forces raided the village of Kafr Qaddum, taking prisoner one person.

Raid – 2 taken prisoner: Nablus – 02:30–04:40, the Israeli Army raided the city, taking prisoner two people.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner:: Salfit – 10:50-13:30, the Israeli military raided Qarawat Bani Hassan, taking prisoner one person.

Raid: Salfit – 17:35, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled Deir Ballut.

Raid: Salfit – 19:30–22:10, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled the village of Marda.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Jericho – 06:10, Israeli forces raided the Aqbat Jabir refugee camp, taking prisoner one person.

Raid: Bethlehem – 17:00, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled the village of Husan.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Bethlehem – 22:00–03:50, Israeli troops raided the village of Abu Najim, taking prisoner one person.

Raid – vandalism: Hebron – 18:40, the Israeli military raided Yatta and invaded the Amari School, after breaking down and removing its doors.

Raid: Hebron – 20:30–23:50, Israeli soldiers raided Beit Ummar and searched shops.

Raid – 3 taken prisoner: Hebron – 22:35–07:05, Israeli Occupation forces raided Dura, taking prisoner three people.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Hebron – 01:45, Israeli forces raided the al-Fawar refugee camp, taking prisoner one person.

Raid – 8 taken prisoner: Hebron – 01:45–07:05, the Israeli Army raided the city, taking prisoner eight people.