Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #65

Key points

• Between the afternoons of 9 and 10 December, 297 Palestinians were killed, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza. Heavy Israeli bombardments from air, land, and sea across Gaza continued, along with intense ground operations and fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups, especially in the eastern parts of Gaza city. The firing of rockets by Palestinian armed groups to Israel also continued.  
• On 9 and 10 December, multiple health facilities and personnel were attacked across the Gaza strip (see Health Care section for more details). Personnel attacked included Gaza’s MoH Director General of Pharmacy, alongside two other staff, who were shot and injured while trying to reach the MoH’s warehouses to provide medical supplies to Shifa and Al Ahli Hospitals and other health facilities in northern Gaza and Gaza city. Reportedly, an ambulance rushing to the scene was also hit. 
• On 9 December, a UN and Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) convoy reached Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza city, where it delivered medical supplies and evacuated 19 critically injured patients. Led by the World Health Organization (WHO), this was the first mission to Gaza city since hostilities resumed on 1 December. The convoy was delayed by Israeli forces at a checkpoint in Wadi Gaza, where extensive screenings of vehicles, staff and patients were undertaken. One of the evacuated patients died during the trip southwards. One of the paramedics was detained for four hours, during which he was interrogated and reportedly beaten and intimidated. One of the ambulances and a UN truck carrying supplies were hit by gunfire as the convoy struggled to reach the hospital through debris-strewn streets. Humanitarian access to the area north of Wadi Gaza (hereafter: the north) remains severely constrained and hundreds of thousands of civilians are in dire need of urgent assistance.  
• On 9 and 10 December, in the north and Gaza city, Israeli forces reportedly detained hundreds of men and boys staying in public spaces, schools serving as shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs) as well as private homes. Reportedly, detainees were stripped to their underwear, handcuffed, and ordered to sit on their knees in open areas, subjected to beatings, harassment, harsh weather, and denial of basic necessities. They were filmed and the images circulated over the media. According to the Israeli military, those suspected of affiliation with Hamas were transferred to Israel for interrogation, while others have been released.  
• Tens of thousands of IDPs, who have arrived in Rafah (in the south) since 3 December, continued facing extreme overcrowded and dire conditions both inside and outside shelters. They wait for hours in large crowds around aid distribution centres, in desperate need of food, water, shelter, health, and protection. In the absence of an adequate number of latrines, open-air defecation is widespread, increasing concerns of the spread of disease particularly during rains and related flooding. 
• The Rafah governorate remained the main area in Gaza where limited aid distributions are taking place. Aid distribution in the rest of the Gaza Strip has largely stopped over the past few days due to the intensity of hostilities and restrictions of movement along the main roads, except for limited fuel deliveries to key service providers, and the abovementioned convoy to al Ahli hospital. 
• On 10 December, as of 22:00, 100 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies entered from Egypt into Gaza, the same volume as in most days since the resumption of hostilities on 1 December. This is well below the daily average of 500 truckloads (including fuel) that entered every working day prior to 7 October. The ability of the UN to receive incoming aid has been significantly impaired over the past few days by several factors. These include a shortage of trucks within Gaza; telecommunications blackouts; and the increasing number of staff who were unable to travel to the Rafah crossing due to the intensity of hostilities. 
• On 9 and 10 December, a daily average of 150,000 litres of fuel entered from Egypt, up from a daily average of 67,000 litres in the previous three days. The increased amounts are the bare minimum needed to prevent the collapse of critical services, including hospitals and ambulances, water, and sanitation infrastructures, and IDP shelters. Additionally, on 10 December, nearly 45 tonnes of commercial cooking gas also entered from Egypt, the first such delivery since the resumption of hostilities. 
• On 10 December, 25 injured people and 468 dual nationals were evacuated from Gaza to Egypt. Since 7 October, a total of 430 wounded Palestinians and 530 medical cases have been evacuated. 
• On 10 December, which marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Humanitarian Coordinator stated that “this crisis is not about the number of trucks going into Gaza. Israel has the obligation as the occupying power to ensure that sufficient hygiene and public health standards as well as the provision of food and medical care are available to the population under occupation.” 

Hostilities and casualties (Gaza Strip)

• The following are among the deadliest incidents reported in the past 24 hours, involving the striking of residential buildings (all took place on 9 December):  
  • At about 21:50, 39 people were reportedly killed when a six-storey building was hit in An Nazla area in the city of Jabalia, northern Gaza.  
  • At about 22:15, six people, including children, were reportedly killed when a residential building was hit near Al Maghazi market.  
  • At about 12:45, ten people were reportedly killed and 20 others injured when a residential building was hit in western Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. 
• According to the MoH in Gaza, between 7 October and 10 December afternoon, about 18,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, about 70 per cent of whom are said to be women and children, and over 49,229 are reportedly injured.  
• Many more people are missing, presumably under the rubble, waiting for rescue or recovery. On 8 December, the head of the Palestinian Civil Defence in northern Gaza stated in the media that, due to lack of fuel, rescuers have been left with just one operational vehicle. 
• Overall, 98 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli ground operations, and another 559 have been injured, according to the Israeli military (the figure published in Flash Update 65 was revised following publication of new figures by the Israeli military). 

Displacement (Gaza Strip)

• Newly arrived IDPs in Rafah are facing extreme overcrowding in shelters. The largest two sites in the city, where thousands of them have settled and erected makeshift structures and tents, are an under-construction hospital (‘the Qatari hospital’) and the campus of the Al Quds Open University. 
• On 9 December, Israeli forces reiterated the order to residents of Jabalia and the eastern neighbourhoods of Gaza city, where intense fighting is taking place, to evacuate to the western parts of Gaza city. The affected areas encompass about 30 square kilometres. It is unclear how many residents have remained there.  
• On 1 December, the Israeli military issued a detailed online map, where the Gaza Strip is divided into hundreds of small areas. Reportedly, the map is intended to facilitate orders to evacuate people to specific areas ahead of their targeting. Since then, various areas, encompassing nearly 30 per cent of the Gaza Strip, have been marked for evacuation. The ability of residents to access this information is impaired by the recurrent interruptions in telecommunications and the lack of electricity to charge electronic devices. 
• As of 10 December, according to UNRWA, almost 1.9 million people in Gaza, or nearly 85 per cent of the population, were estimated to be internally displaced. Nearly 1.2 million of these IDPs were registered in 154 UNRWA facilities across Gaza, of whom about one million are registered in 94 UNRWA shelters in the south. Obtaining an accurate count is challenging, given difficulties including in tracking IDPs staying with host families, the movement of IDPs following evacuation orders since 1 December, and the evacuation of five UNRWA shelters in eastern Khan Younis on 6 December.  
• Due to the overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions at UNRWA shelters in the south, there have been significant increases in some communicable diseases and conditions such as diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, skin infections and hygiene-related conditions like lice.  
• Concerns have been raised about vulnerable groups of people who are struggling with difficult shelter conditions. This includes people with disabilities; women who are pregnant, have recently given birth, or are breastfeeding; people who are recovering from injuries or surgeries; and those with compromised immune systems.

Electricity

• Since 11 October, the Gaza Strip has been under an electricity blackout, after the Israeli authorities cut off the electricity supply, and fuel reserves for Gaza’s sole power plant depleted. Depending on the availability of fuel, electricity is produced by generators, as well as by solar panels. For more information on electricity supply to the Gaza strip, please see this dashboard.

Health care, including attacks (Gaza Strip)

• On 9 December, at about 18:18, shelling and live ammunition reportedly hit Al Yaman As Saeed Hospital in Jabalia camp (the north), causing damage. Casualties were reported but their number is unknown. Fearing the risks of moving the bodies of recent fatalities from the hospital, a mass grave was dug for them nearby. Reportedly, a fire broke out near the facility due to the shelling, leading to the burning of tents and cars belonging to IDPs. 
• On 9 December, two medical staff were reportedly killed while on duty inside Al Awda Hospital, Jabalia (the north), during clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. According to WHO, Al Adwda Hospital has been under siege since 5 December. At least 250 doctors, patients, and their family members are reportedly trapped inside. 
• On 9 December, an ambulance near the European Hospital in Khan Yunis came under fire, reportedly by Israeli forces, and two paramedics were injured. Since 7 October, at least 286 health workers have been killed and 57 ambulances have been hit and damaged, according to the MoH in Gaza. 
• On 9 December, the vicinities of Nasser Hospital and Jordanian Field Hospital in Khan Yunis (the south) were shelled, which caused material damage. No casualties were reported. 
• On 10 December, for the third consecutive day, the vicinity of the European Gaza Hospital was repeatedly bombarded, impeding the access to healthcare of dozens of people injured. The PRCS facilities are currently sheltering about 14,000 IDPs, while the European Gaza Hospital is sheltering 70,000 IDPs. These two hospitals are among the 12 hospitals in the south which are partially operational.  
   

Food security

• On 10 December, the World Food Programme (WFP), through its partner ‘Global Community,’ distributed 9,000 hot meals and 3,000 food parcels to IDPs outside of shelters and with host families in Rafah. 
• During the humanitarian pause (24-30 November), WFP conducted a rapid food security assessment across the Gaza Strip involving a sample of 399 households. Severe hunger was found in 36 per cent of respondent households and moderate hunger in another 52 per cent. In 91 per cent of the households, respondents reported going to bed hungry, and 63 per cent reported enduring entire days without food. The situation is significantly worse in the north. The acute shortage of cooking gas has led to heavy dependence on less clean sources such as firewood, wood residues, and waste burning, raising the risk of respiratory diseases. 

Water and sanitation (Gaza Strip)

• On 10 December, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU), together with UNICEF, installed several water and sanitation facilities at the ‘Qatari hospital,’ an under-construction building in Rafah accommodating between 15,000 and 20,000 recently arrived IDPs. The facilities include two mobile bladders with 5 and 10 cubic metres capacities, regularly refilled with drinking water, and 24 toilet units, including showers.  
• On 9 December, the CMWU completed a repair of a main water pipeline in the Rafah governorate that had been previously damaged. As a result, it is now providing water to about 25,000 people in the northeast area of the governorate. The repair was supported by UNICEF through the provision of pipes and other materials acquired by the agency prior to 7 October.  
• On 9 December, CMWU completed the installation of a 10 cubic metre mobile water tank, previously provided by UNICEF, on the roof of Al Aqsa University in Khan Younis. With this, more than 25,000 IDPs sheltering in this site started receiving clean water. The tank is being regularly refilled from a nearby water desalination plant.  
• On 8 December, the Gaza Municipality reported that sewage was flowing in the streets after all pumping stations had ceased operations due to lack of fuel. The municipality also reported that all but three water wells had also stopped working for the same reason. 
• Grave concerns about waterborne diseases due to water consumption from unsafe sources persist, particularly in the north, where the water desalination plant and the pipeline from Israel was shut down. There has been almost no improvement for residents in the north in their access to water for drinking and domestic purposes for weeks. 
• UNRWA continues to operate nine water wells pumping about 10,000 cubic metres a day to provide potable and domestic water supply in shelters across Gaza. Potable water trucking operations to the shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis areas continue, despite the dangerous conditions. Additionally, shelters in Rafah started receiving potable water through tankers from the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.  

Hostilities and casualties (Israel)

• The indiscriminate rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups from Gaza towards Israel continued on 10 December; no fatalities were reported. Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, including 36 children, according to the Israeli authorities, the vast majority on 7 October.  
• During the humanitarian pause (24-30 November), 86 Israeli and 24 foreign national hostages were released. It is estimated that about 137 people remain captive in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals, according to Israeli sources. Before the pause, four civilian hostages had been released by Hamas, one Israeli soldier had been rescued by Israeli forces, and three bodies of hostages had reportedly been retrieved by Israeli forces. 
• On 10 December, the Humanitarian Coordinator reiterated her call for the unconditional release of hostages, adding that “in the interim, access should be granted so their conditions can be verified.” 

Violence and casualties (West Bank) 

• No new fatalities or injuries were reported in the West Bank on 10 December.  
• Since 7 October, 265 Palestinians, including 69 children, have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Additionally, two Palestinians from the West Bank were killed while carrying out an attack in Israel on 30 November. Of those killed in the West Bank, 255 have been killed by Israeli forces, eight by Israeli settlers and another two either by forces or settlers. The two-month toll represents more than half of all Palestinians killed in the West Bank this year. Already, 2023 is the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since OCHA began recording casualties in 2005.  
• Since 7 October, four Israelis, including three members of Israeli forces, have been killed in attacks by Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. An additional four Israelis were killed in West Jerusalem in an attack by Palestinians (one of whom was killed by Israeli forces who misidentified him).  
• Two-thirds of the Palestinian fatalities in the West Bank since 7 October have occurred during search-and-arrest and other operations carried out by Israeli forces, including some – mainly in Jenin and Tulkarm governorates – involving exchanges of fire with Palestinians. More than half of the fatalities were reported in operations that did not involve armed clashes.  
• Since 7 October, Israeli forces have injured 3,431 Palestinians, including at least 535 children; 45 per cent of them in the context of demonstrations and 46 per cent in the context of search-and-arrest and other operations. An additional 84 Palestinians have been injured by settlers and 18 others either by Israeli forces or settlers. Some 33 per cent of those injuries have been caused with live ammunition, compared with 9 per cent in the first nine months of 2023.  

Settler Violence

• No new settler related incidents were reported in the past 24 hours in the West Bank. Since 7 October, OCHA has recorded 331 settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in Palestinian casualties (35 incidents), damage to Palestinian-owned property (251 incidents), or both casualties and damage to property (45 incidents).  
• The weekly average of incidents since 7 October stands at 36, compared with 21 incidents between 1 January and 6 October 2023. The number of incidents since 7 October has gradually declined from 80 incidents in the first week (7-14 October) to 13 incidents in 2-7 December. One-third of these incidents included firearms, including shootings and threats of shootings. In nearly half of all recorded incidents, Israeli forces were either accompanying or reportedly seen as supporting the attackers. 

Displacement (West Bank)

• Since 7 October, at least 143 Palestinian households comprising 1,026 people, including 396 children, have been displaced amid settler violence and access restrictions. The displaced households are from 15 herding/Bedouin communities. More than half of the displacements occurred on 12, 15, and 28 October, affecting seven communities. 
• Also, since 7 October, 338 Palestinians, including 182 children, have been displaced following the demolition of their homes in Area C and East Jerusalem, due to lack of Israeli-issued building permits in Area C of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are almost impossible to obtain. The monthly average of displacement between 7 October and 7 December represents 27 per cent increase compared with the monthly average of displacement in the first nine months of the year.  
• Another 68 Palestinians, including 34 children, have been displaced following the demolition of 16 homes on punitive grounds since 7 October, which is the same number of homes punitively demolished in the first nine months of the year. The Human Rights Committee, in its review of the fourth periodic report of Israel, in 2014, concluded that punitive demolitions are a form of collective punishment and as such are illegal under international law.  
• Another 269 Palestinians, including 121 children, have been displaced since 7 October following the destruction of 42 residential structures during other operations carried out by Israeli forces across the West Bank; 61 per cent of the displacement was reported in Jenin Refugee Camp, and 29 per cent in Nur Shams and Tulkarm Refugee Camps (both in Tulkarm). 

Funding

• As of 8 December, Member States have disbursed US$434.4 million against the updated Flash Appeal launched by the UN and its partners to implement its response plan in support of 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip and 500,000 in the West Bank. This constitutes about 35 per cent of the $1.2 billion requested. Private donations are collected through the Humanitarian Fund.

HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND RESPONSES: 27 November – 4 December

Health

During the reporting period, Cluster partners have carried out the following activities across Gaza:

• Some 150 mobile medical teams provided primary health-care services to IDPs. Partners are working to increase the number of mobile teams to cover more shelters;
• About 40,000 primary healthcare consultations were conducted daily through fixed and mobile services, including shelters in the north;
• Some 600 individual clean delivery kits were distributed to 13 shelters north of Gaza;
• Some 10,000 hygiene kits were distributed to IDPs in shelters in the north;
• A daily average of 500 post-natal care and high-risk pregnancy consultations were conducted;
• Cash assistance was provided to 455 patients with non-communicable diseases in the north to procure medications;
• Mental health and psycho-social support services were delivered to about 11,000 people through mobile health teams;

During the humanitarian pause, coordination of movement of health partners and medical supplies, especially to the north was complex. Insecurity in Gaza has forced partners to cease operations and/or prevented them from reaching certain locations, especially the north. Lack of fuel, and other essential supplies continues to pose major challenges for partners’ response. Displacement of partners, their staff and families also continue to affect operational capacity. Overcrowding in the shelters is complicating the delivery of health services and increasing the risk of communicable diseases, including outbreak-prone diseases.

Protection

Risk education, conflict preparedness, explosive ordinance assessment and ultimately mine disposal remain key priorities. During the reporting period, cluster partners disseminated text messages on Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and Conflict Preparedness (CPP) to more than 1 million people. More than 11,100 children and adults IDPs in shelters participated in 227 EORE sessions, and 900 EORE/ CPP posters, including safety messages were distributed by Humanity and Inclusion (HI), an international NGO, in the southern governorates. The United Nations Mine Service (UNMAS) delivered two short Training-for-Trainers sessions on EORE to 100 UNRWA protection focal points in Khan Younis and Rafah – who will then train people in UNRWAs southern shelters. NPAs Social media campaign reached over 2 million people (52 per cent in Gaza, 48 per cent in the West Bank) and another campaign organized by UNMAS/ Mine Action Group (MAG) reached 1.2 million in Gaza and 980k in the West Bank). A scale up of all activities is urgently needed. Access constraints and communication challenges as well as shortage of material information supplies suitable for different groups including children remain challenging.

An explosive threat assessment (ETA) was conducted at an UNRWA Health Centre in Al Bureij. The centre was struck by several tank rounds impacting the southern and southwest walls, causing extensive damage inside. A second ETA was conducted at two schools/shelters in Nuseirat that were hit twice in November.

UNMAS accompanied aid missions to Gaza city and conducted an ETA at UNRWA Field Office in Gaza. The compound perimeter walls were damaged by airstrikes hitting surrounding areas. There was also fire damage and evidence of looting. Much of the damage is assessed to be easily repairable.

‘Humanity and Inclusion’ teams assessed 98 UN and non-UN shelters in the south and conducted 67 recreational activities providing psychosocial support to more than 28,800 people. ‘Stars of Hope,’ an INGO, issued position papers on the complex impact and challenges facing persons with disabilities in Gaza.

UNICEF is signing an agreement with SOS Children’s Village International for the referral of unaccompanied and separated children to specialized services. Since 7 October, SOS has been hosting 75 children, and it has capacity to host another 15 children. Once non-food items are delivered, hosting capacity will increase to an additional 40 places for children 3 years and above. UNRWA and UNICEF are preparing a referral mechanism for unaccompanied and separated children. UNRWA Protection is also coordinating with Terres des Hommes, another NGO, on the provision of psychological first aid, individual counselling, and referral support to the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, including provision of medications for UNRWA’s shelters.

Food security

Food assistance response during the reporting period has included the following:

• World Central Kitchen (WCK) distributed 3,000 ready-to-eat food kits.
• UNRWA distributed flour to 23,384 families in the south. Flour continued to be prioritised for distribution in the north as part of the humanitarian convoys that took place during the ongoing humanitarian pause.
• On 7 December, WFP reached about 3,050 people in Rafah with hot meals. In addition, about 2,940 IDPs received canned fava beans and fortified biscuits.
• UN agencies and the Palestine Red Crescent Society provided ready-to-eat food, including 7.6 metric tons of high-energy biscuits distributed by WFP, covering the minimal daily food intake for 23,616 people at UNRWA shelters in Jabalia.
• Since the start of the humanitarian pause, WFP reached 121,000 people in shelters and host communities with bread, food parcels, and e-vouchers. WFP is partnering with Global Communities to distribute food parcels to IDPs in host communities. WFP also started distributing hot meals in coordination with local partners, reaching around 6,000 people over two days.
• ANERA continues buying fresh meat and fish from poor farmers, cooking and distributing hot meals (meat and rice or fish and rice), reaching 460,000 people.
• Humanitarian Relief Foundation is distributing 5,000 cooked meals and 500 daily bread bundles on a daily basis and plans to distribute ready-to-eat (RTE) food to 30,000 families staying in UN and non-UN shelters in different locations.
• Oxfam, in partnership with Economic and Social Development Center of Palestine (ESDC), is distributing fresh vegetable parcels and food. The parcels include tomatoes, eggplant, and cucumbers, which could be changed according to the availability of vegetables.
• In partnership with PARC, United Palestinian Appeal (UPA) continues distributing fresh vegetable baskets, reaching around 5,000 people.
• PARC will distribute 251 e-vouchers through FSS's emergency response and 231 E-Vouchers.

Nutrition

The Nutrition cluster was officially activated on 9 November. UNICEF is leading the cluster, which currently has 27 partners. The cluster monitors the nutrition situation in Gaza and supports partners to scale up aid for mothers and children through preventive and curative interventions.

During the reporting period, the following nutrition responses were undertaken:

• UNICEF delivered anaemia treatment for more than 33,300 pregnant and breastfeeding women; High Energy Biscuits for 15,000 children (6-23 months); micronutrients supplementation for 16,000 children (24-59 months); and 2,400 pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• Vitamin A and Zink supplementation were provided to more than 260,000 children (6-59 months).
• WFP delivered 8,420 cartons of High Energy Biscuits that benefitted 105,830 people in need.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

During the ceasefire period WASH actors had increased activities on IDP locations. However, fewer WASH supplies entered Gaza, and there were no new deliveries of storage tanks, jerry cans, and cleaning kits to Rafah. No latrines were built. A consignment of piping and generators was refused access over the ceasefire period. Fuel supply to WASH facilities, currently at 19,520L/day is at 35 per cent of the amount needed to operate water production, treatment and distribution, sewage treatment and storm water management.

During the reporting period, water distributions consisted of water trucks carrying 3,896 cubic meters of water, and 690 cubic meters of bottled water. In addition, two desalination plants were installed in two IDP centers in Khan Younis. The ceasefire saw a slowdown in WASH service delivery for hygiene kits, cleaning kits, water storage and jerry cans. The sanitation response is severely limited by available materials and opportunity conduct the works

Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI)

During the reporting period, it is observed that there is still a significant shortage of basic shelter materials, which includes supplying tents, tarpaulins, and plastic sheeting for protection during rainy days, particularly for people living outside the shelters. Shelter partners distributed the following items to IDPs:

• 16,500 winter clothing kits.
• 3,800 kitchen kits.
• 7,500 blankets and mattresses.
• 4,400 washing kits.
• 300 sealing-off kits for winterization.

Due to limited supplies, shelter partners were only able to cover less than 10 per cent of the overall Shelter/NFIs needs. There is still a major gap in shelter winterization materials and essential NFIs, including sealing off kits for damaged houses; a high shortage in bedding sets, including mattresses and blankets to cover the needs of the IDPs in various settings, including UNRWA shelters, as well as winterized tents to protect IDPs situated in the open air from harsh weather .

Education

Since 7 October, nine Education Cluster partners have reached 50,726 students and teachers. The main deliverables included emergency learning and recreational supplies (26,833 people reached), psychosocial support (31,318 reached), and recreational activities (49,726 reached). The response has been focusing on Khan Younis, Rafah, and the Middle Area governorates, as North Gaza and Gaza governorates are inaccessible.

Multi-Purpose Cash assistance (MPCA)

Since the beginning hostilities, 66,870 households (including roughly 449,000 people) received Emergency MPCA. Cash out rates across the response stand at 70-75 per cent but have been declining slightly over the past few days. While distribution is delivered across the Gaza strip, the vast majority is now concentrated in the south.

Formal market actors, such as supermarkets and retailers are largely depleted and facing major challenges in re-stocking and operating. However, informal markets, such as vendors, minimarts, carts and stalls, reportedly turned into the main source for goods. Information is still unclear on whether shops and markets actors were able to restock during the pause.

Post distribution monitoring data from recipients of cash assistance point to food, water, medicines, hygiene products, and clothing as the top expenditures reported. About 81 per cent of respondents reported that unrestricted cash helped them accessing needed goods and services, either fully or partially. Over 95 per cent reported unrestricted cash as their preference for future assistance.

Logistics

The Logistics Cluster launched common storage services in Gaza and Egypt. In Gaza, three warehouses, managed by a Logistics Cluster partner, are available for partners’ storage in Deir al Balah (495 m2), Khan Yunis (170 m2), and Rafah (70 m2). The Logistics Cluster also facilitates the transport from Rafah to the three warehouse locations in Gaza Strip. In Port Said, Egypt, 800 pallet positions are available for common storage to the humanitarian community. Additionally, a cargo notification service in Rafah will support partners with the reception of their cargo entering Gaza. All partners wishing to access one of these services can consult the details of the process in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The Logistics Cluster installed three Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) at the Rafah transshipment base to increase the partners’ offloading capacity in Rafah with an additional 960 m2. Three more MSUs have been provided and installed at the UNRWA base in Rafah, in order to increase their warehousing capacity. An additional 8 MSUs will be installed in Gaza by the Logistics Cluster, and the team is assessing with partners in which key locations these should be placed. Moreover, the IMPACCT Working Group (hosted at the Global Logistics Cluster) held a national workshop on the importation of humanitarian aid with relevant ministries, authorities, the Egyptian Red Crescent, UN and INGOs. The Palestine Logistics Cluster is planning to organize a meeting with partners during the week of 3 December in order to present the main findings of the workshop.

Emergency Telecommunications

The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) continues to coordinate a collective approach among partners for the importation of telecommunications equipment into Gaza. On 3 December, the ETC team, UNDSS, the NGO Help, and OCHA met with the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) to discuss the list of technical equipment and solutions submitted for importation into Gaza— to install an independent connectivity and security communications services for humanitarian responders. Following the feedback received from COGAT, the team is developing a revised detailed proposal containing the consolidated description of all equipment and solutions required to operate in Gaza. On 3 December, COGAT also authorized the team to purchase 20 satellite phones from a local service provider and import into Gaza for use by humanitarian responders. The ETC alerted COGAT of the ongoing limited internet connectivity for humanitarian responders, while UNOCHA raised the issue of limited fuel access for Mobile Network Operators—to power telecommunications towers.

Protection against sexual abuse and exploitation (PSEA) remains a cross-cutting priority for all clusters. The SAWA helpline, reachable at 121 and through WhatsApp at +972 59-4040121 (East Jerusalem at 1-800-500-121), operates 24/7. This toll-free number is widely disseminated across all areas of intervention to report cases of SEA and to facilitate emergency counselling and referrals for affected communities to access life-saving services. The PSEA Network monitors calls daily and will increase the number of counsellors if necessary.

* Asterisks indicate that a figure, sentence, or section has been rectified, added, or retracted after the initial publication of this update.