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Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #16 - occupied Palestinian territory [1]

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Date: 2023-10

KEY POINTS

On 22 October, the Rafah crossing with Egypt opened for the second consecutive day, allowing the entry of 14 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies. This is equivalent to about three per cent of the daily average volume of commodities entering Gaza prior to the hostilities. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said it was “another small glimmer of hope for the millions of people in dire need of humanitarian aid. But they need more, much more."

Aid deliveries entering Gaza have not included fuel. UNRWA, by far the largest humanitarian provider in Gaza, will exhaust its fuel reserves within the next three days. Today UNRWA’s Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini called to immediately allow fuel supplies, adding that “no fuel will further strangle the children, women and people of Gaza.”

Intense airstrikes continued across the Gaza Strip, where an additional 266 Palestinians have been killed in the past 24 hours (as of 17:00), according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza. This brings the cumulative fatality toll among Palestinians in Gaza to 4,651, with 62 per cent of the fatalities being children and women, according to the MoH. More than 1,000 people Palestinians have been reported missing and are presumed to be trapped or dead under the rubble. On 21 October, the Israeli military reportedly dropped leaflets in the Arabic-language throughout Gaza city warning residents choosing to stay that they may be considered “complicit with a terrorist organization.” Subsequently, in English social media, it denied any intention of considering those remaining members of a terrorist group. Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected whether they move or stay.

About 1.4 million internally displaced people (IDPs) are estimated in Gaza, with nearly 580,000 sheltering in 150 UNRWA-designated emergency shelters (DES). Overcrowding is a growing concern, as the average number of IDPs per shelter has reached more than 2.5 times their designated capacity.

On 22 October, one Israeli soldier was reportedly shot and killed on the Gaza side of the perimeter fence. Palestinian armed groups’ indiscriminate rocket firing towards Israeli population centres continued, with no new Israeli fatalities reported in that context (as of 21:00).

Overall, about 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, according to the Israeli authorities, the vast majority on 7 October. Israeli media reported that, as of 22 October, the names of 767 of these fatalities have been released. Of those whose ages have been provided, 27 are children.

According to the Israeli authorities, at least 212 people are currently held captive in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals. The UN Secretary-General has called upon Hamas to release hostages immediately and unconditionally. Two hostages with United States citizenship were released on 20 October.

In the West Bank, since the afternoon of 21 October, Israeli forces have killed seven Palestinians, including two killed in an airstrike in Jenin. This brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers since 7 October to 91, including 27 children.

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[1] Url: https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-16

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