Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #30

Hostilities and casualties (Gaza Strip) 

• As hostilities entered the thirtieth day, ongoing armed clashes between the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups were reported in northwest and south Gaza City. Intense bombardments took place across the Gaza Strip, including in Deir Al Balah and the southern areas.
• Between 4 November (noon) and 5 November (14:00), 243 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza. At least 65 of these reported fatalities were recorded during airstrikes targeting residential buildings in three refugee camps: Al Bureij and Al Maghazi, both in Deir Al Balah (at least 51 reported fatalities) and Jabaliya in North Gaza governorate (14 reported fatalities). Most of the fatalities are women and children, according to MoH.  
• This brings the reported fatality toll since the start of the hostilities to 9,770 including 4,008 children and 2,550 women, according to the MoH in Gaza. About 2,260 others are reported missing in Gaza, including 1,270 children. Most are presumed to be trapped under rubble. On average, 134 children have been killed in Gaza every day since the start of the hostilities, based on the MoH figures. 
• On 5 November, one Israeli soldier was reportedly killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since the start of ground operations to 29, according to Israeli sources. 
• See the latest snapshot for more breakdowns. 

Access and movement (Gaza Strip) 

• No exits of dual nationals or patients from Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah crossing was recorded on 5 November, for the second consecutive day. This is reportedly due to the failure of Hamas, Israel and Egypt to reach an agreement regarding the safe evacuation of patients from northern Gaza. The halt in the exit of dual nationals and patients followed an attack on an ambulance convoy on its way from Gaza city to Rafah on 3 November. More than 1,100 people reportedly crossed from Gaza to Egypt on 2 and 3 November. 
• On 5 November, the Israeli military called again on residents of Gaza city and the North Gaza governorate to move southwards between 10:00 and 14:00. However, UN monitoring suggests that less than 2,000 moved. This is attributed to the heavy damage sustained by the two main traffic arteries; fear of being hit and potentially killed, as has reportedly happened to people traveling southwards; and lack of information due to the limited connectivity to cellular networks and internet. The Israeli military claims that Hamas has been physically hindering people’s movement to the south. 
• On 5 November, a limited number of trucks carrying humanitarian supplies crossed from Egypt into Gaza. Since 21 October, at least 451 trucks have entered Gaza. Of these, at least 158 trucks carried food, 102 carried health supplies, 44 carried water or hygiene products, 32 carried non-food items, and eight carried nutrition supplies, with the remaining trucks carrying mixed cargo. 
• The Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, which prior to the hostilities was the main entry point for goods, remains closed, as does the Israeli pedestrian crossing of Erez. 

Displacement (Gaza Strip) 

• About 1.5 million people in Gaza are internally displaced (IDPs). Of them, some 717,000 are sheltering in 149 UNRWA facilities, 122,000 in hospitals, churches, and public buildings, 110,000 people in 89 non-UNRWA schools, and the remainder are residing with host families. 
• Overcrowding remains a major concern. Over 530,000 people are sheltering in 92 UNRWA facilities in the south and shelters are unable to accommodate new arrivals. Many IDPs are seeking safety by sleeping in the streets, near UNRWA premises. 
• An estimated 160,000 IDPs are housed in 57 UNRWA facilities in Gaza city and the North Gaza governorate. UNRWA, however, is no longer able to provide services in those areas and does not have accurate information on people’s needs and conditions since the Israeli evacuation order on 12 October. 
• Several cases of acute respiratory infections, diarrhea and chicken pox have been reported among people taking refuge at UNRWA shelters. 
• See the live IDP dashboard for the latest figures and more breakdowns.

Electricity 

• Gaza remains under a full electricity blackout since 11 October, following Israel’s halt of its power and fuel supply, which triggered the shutdown of Gaza’s sole power plant.  
• The entry of fuel, which is desperately needed to operate electricity generators to run life-saving equipment, remains banned by the Israeli authorities. 
• Multiple solar panels on the roofs of standing buildings, particularly in Gaza city, have reportedly been destroyed in the past few days during Israeli bombardments. Affected facilities include Shifa and Nasser hospitals, several water wells, and bakeries. This has eliminated one of the remaining sources of energy, which is not dependent on fuel. 

Health care, including attacks (Gaza Strip) 

• In the past 24 hours, strikes continued in the close vicinity of hospitals, including the Indonesian Hospital (Beit Lahiya) and the Al Quds Hospital in Tal Al Hawa (Gaza city). In the latter, two patients and 12 people sheltering at the hospital were reported injured, and the hospital also sustained damage. The Israeli military claims that members of armed groups have been shooting from those areas. 
• Since 3 November, the main electricity generators at Shifa Hospital in Gaza city and the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza have reportedly stopped operating due to the lack of fuel. Both hospitals operate secondary, smaller generators, which provide only a few hours of electricity a day for the most critical services.  
• Since the start of hostilities, 14 out of 35 hospitals with inpatient capacities have stopped functioning and 51 (71 per cent) of all primary care facilities across Gaza (72) have shut down due to damage or lack of fuel.  

Water and sanitation (Gaza Strip) 

• Hundreds of thousands of residents in Gaza city and the North Gaza governorate are facing a severe water shortage, following the shutdown of all municipal water wells due to the lack of fuel, alongside the halt of water trucking activities. This situation raises concerns of dehydration and waterborne diseases due to water consumption from unsafe sources. However, a precise assessment is uncertain due to hostilities and access restrictions. 
• In the south, all municipal wells have stopped operating since 2 November, due to the lack of fuel. Additionally, one of the two desalination plants in the area shut down and the other is operating at minimum levels. The two pipelines from Israel servicing these areas are operational.    
• Six of the trucks that entered on 4 November from Egypt carried a total of 198 cubic metres of bottled water. They were distributed during the day at IDP shelters in the south of Gaza, meeting the drinking needs of about 66,000 IDPs for one day. 
• On 4 and 5 November, seven water facilities across the Gaza Strip were directly hit and sustained major damage, including three sewage pipelines in Gaza city, two water reservoirs (in Gaza City, Rafah and Jabalia refugee camp) and two water wells in Rafah. The Gaza municipality warned about the imminent risk of sewage flooding. 

Food security 

• According to the World Food Programme (WFP), stocks of some essential food items in Gaza, including rice, vegetable oil and pulses, are about to be depleted in the coming 1-3 days. Additionally, retailers are facing significant challenges when restocking available items from wholesalers due to widespread destruction, insecurity, and lack of fuel. 
• Food supplies entering from Egypt include mainly ready-to-eat food (canned tuna and date bars) and are primarily distributed to IDPs and host families in southern Gaza, with only flour being provided to bakeries. 
• Distribution of food assistance to IDPs in Gaza city and northern Gaza was almost completely halted for the past few days, following the intensification of ground operations. Anecdotal information suggests that limited food assistance by local NGOs and community-based organizations continues. Some reports indicate that no bakery is currently operational in these areas.   
• Access to bread in the south is also challenging. The only operative mill in Gaza remains unable to grind wheat due to a lack of electricity and fuel. Eleven bakeries have been hit and destroyed since 7 October. Only one of the bakeries contracted by WFP, along with eight other bakeries in the southern and Middle areas, intermittently provides bread to shelters, depending on the availability of flour and fuel. People queue for long hours in bakeries, where they are exposed to airstrikes. 

Hostilities and casualties (Israel) 

• The indiscriminate firing of rockets by Palestinian armed groups towards Israeli population centres has continued over the past 24 hours, resulting in no reported fatalities. Overall, about 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, according to the Israeli authorities, the vast majority on 7 October. As of 3 November, the names of 1,159 of these fatalities have been released, including 828 civilians. Of those whose ages have been provided, 31 are children. 
• According to the Israeli authorities, 242 people are held captive in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals. Media reports indicate that about 30 of the hostages are children. So far, four civilian hostages have been released by Hamas, and one female Israeli soldier was rescued by Israeli forces. Hamas has claimed that 57 of the hostages were killed by Israeli airstrikes. 

Violence and casualties (West Bank) 

• Israeli forces shot and killed five Palestinians, including one child, between the afternoon of 4 November and noontime on 5 November. The deadliest incident, which lasted for over five hours, took place in the town of Abu Dis (Jerusalem) and resulted in three Palestinians killed. The operation involved armed clashes with Palestinians, during which Israeli forces fired a missile at a house where a wanted person was hiding and destroyed it. Another two fatalities, including a 17-year-old child, were reported during search-and-arrest operations in Al 'Eizariya (Jerusalem), and Nuba (Hebron).  
• Since 7 October, 141 Palestinians, including 43 children, have been killed by Israeli forces; and eight, including one child, by Israeli settlers. Two Israelis have been killed by Palestinians. 
• The number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank since 7 October accounts for more than one-third of all Palestinian fatalities in the West Bank in 2023 (388). About 55 per cent of these fatalities occurred during confrontations that followed Israeli search-and-arrest operations, primarily in Jenin and Tulkarm governorates. Some 30 per cent were in the context of demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza; eight per cent were killed in settler attacks against Palestinians, and the remaining seven where while attacking or allegedly attacking Israeli forces or settlers. 
• Since 7 October, Israeli forces have injured 2,322 Palestinians, including at least 244 children, over half of them in the context of demonstrations. Sixty-four Palestinians have been injured by settlers. Some 27 per cent of those injuries have been caused by live ammunition. 
• In the past 24 hours, armed Israeli settlers stormed the community of Khirbet Yarza (Tubas), broke into homes, physically assaulted and injured four men, and threatened others. In Qusra (Nablus) and Jinsafut (Qalqiliya), according to residents, settlers vandalized a total of 500 olive trees and crops. 
• Since 7 October, OCHA has recorded 202 settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in Palestinian casualties (28 incidents), damage to Palestinian-owned property (141 incidents), or both casualties and damage to property (33 incidents). This reflects a daily average of seven incidents, compared with three since the beginning of the year. Over one-third of these incidents included threats with firearms, including shootings. In nearly half of all incidents, Israeli forces were either accompanying or actively supporting the attackers. 

Displacement (West Bank) 

• Since 7 October, at least 111 Palestinian households comprising 905 people, including 356 children, have been displaced amid settler violence and access restrictions. The displaced households are from more than 15 herding/Bedouin communities.  
• An additional 120 Palestinians, including 55 children, have been displaced since 7 October following demolitions in Area C and East Jerusalem, due to lack of permits, and another 23, including 13 children, following punitive demolitions. 

HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND RESPONSES 

Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) 

Priority needs 

• Access to basic needs and services is severely halted by the lack of resources and the security situation. IDPs outside formal shelters have extremely limited access to assistance. Those are prioritized for Emergency MPCA. 
• Banks are temporarily closed, limiting access to cash. The capacities of financial service providers are severely limited and change by the hour (partners currently using PalPay). 
• Depletion of stocked items to be purchased is worsening. 

Response to date 

• Some 17,874 households started receiving Emergency MPCA (NIS754 or $187 per household) as of 26 October. Redemption rates were reported as up to 86 per cent. 

Protection 

Priority needs 

• An estimated 20,000 people in need of specialized mental health services, including mental health drugs, who are in precarious situations with the disruption to mental health services. 
• Documentation of violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law. 
• Opening roads, safe access to basic needs, medicines, mental health support, and ambulance services in the West Bank. 

Response to date 

• Some 3,000 IDPs have received psychosocial support and social work intervention services from UNRWA social workers and counsellors since the crisis began. 
• In the West Bank, UNRWA provided psychosocial support services to 155 Palestinian workers from Gaza, in Hebron, Ramallah, and Tulkarm, and to 240 students at Nur Shams Boys’ schools. 
• One partner reached at least 4,000 IDPs in shelters in Gaza and provided psychological first aid and needs assessment for non-food items (NFIs) and assistive devices. 
• Partners provided about 700 psychological, social, and legal consultations for gender-based violence (GBV) incidents. Furthermore, 1,144 first psychiatric medical services were provided for GBV cases. 
• UNICEF is leading the mapping of orphanages and shelters which host children with a view to support the registration of unaccompanied and separated children, to facilitate identification, reunification, and alternative care options at national level (both Gaza and the West Bank). 

Shelter 

Priority needs 

• Urgent need to provide services and basic shelter and NFI to IDPs.  
• Provision of NFIs and house maintenance for people displaced in urban centres and with host families. 
• Provision of shelter cash assistance for IDPs (reintegration package and belongings loss compensation) for at least 25,000 families. 

Response to date 

• Some 716,881 IDPs are hosted at 149 UNRWA schools across the Gaza Strip. 
• Distribution of 20,000 NFIs in Rafah and Khan Younis, including bedding sets and dignity kits. 
• Distribution of 820 hygiene kits to displaced families.  
• ICRC and PRCS distributed 15,500 NFIs for displaced families, mainly mattresses and blankets.  

Health 

Priority needs 

• Improve the nutritional status, particularly of about 283,000 children under five and pregnant or lactating women, in response to the concerning food security and water situation in Gaza. 
• Ensuring the provision of Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies, including preventive nutrition interventions, cash voucher assistance, curative nutrition interventions, intact nutrition supplies pipeline, and a functional nutrition coordination mechanism. 
• Addressing shortages of medical supplies impacting case management. 
• Fuel supply for hospitals and ambulances. 
• Urgent need to restock medical supplies given depletion of stocks in the local market. 
• Need for short and long-term mental health and psychosocial support services for large numbers of psychologically traumatized people. 
• Access to mobile clinics for 29 communities in Area C locations in Hebron, Jenin and Qalqiliya who have not had access since escalations began. 

Response to date 

• UNRWA continues to provide primary health-care services in the shelters, through 95 mobile medical units and medical teams.  
• PMRS has eight mobile health teams also providing primary health-care services to IDPs and expects to increase the number to twelve. 
• Partners are continuing to mobilize resources in Cairo; with support from WHO, the Health Cluster has deployed a logistics team based in Cairo to assist partners with health coordination. 

Food Security  

Priority needs 

• Electricity, fuel, and water sources to maintain agriculture. 
• Many shops have food supplies to last less than a week. 
• Safe access to farms, livestock, fisheries, and other livelihoods. 
• Urgent import of fodder. 

Response to date 

• On 2 November, WFP continued to assist UN shelters by distributing bread, tuna, date bars and food parcels for host communities.  
• Oxfam covered 189 households in the Gaza governorate.  
• Dan Church Aid (DCA) covered 18,000 households sheltering in UNRWA designated emergency shelters in the Gaza governorate.  
• Islamic Relief Palestine provided food assistance to 10,000 IDPs in non-UNRWA shelters or with host families.  
• Anera provides hot meals to a total of 120,000 people. Food parcels, 80 per cent to UNRWA DES shelters, 20 per cent to hosting communities and other smaller scale shelters. 2,000 households in North Gaza and 12,000 households in Khan Yunis have already been covered. Ten thousand households in the Middle Area are ongoing. Vegetable baskets to host families and small-scale shelters for 2,000 IDPs (UN shelter) in Khan Younis and 2,000 IDPs (UN shelter) in the Middle Area. Planning food parcels distributed covering 1,000 IDPs in collective shelters and host families.  
• Save the Children is providing food in-kind to 75,000 IDPs outside UNRWA shelters. 
• UPA in partnership with PARC is providing 617 food parcels in five different shelter schools. 

Education 

Priority needs 

• Safe access to schools and communities.  

Response to date 

• Provision of emergency education supplies and learning, recreational kits/stationery to 11,250 children. 
• Provision of psychosocial support to 28,300 school-aged children 
• Provision of recreational activities for school-aged children. 

WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) 

Priority needs 

• Provision of clean drinking water. 
• Provision of alternative power supply and 20,000 litres per day of emergency fuel to sustain the operation of WASH facilities, along with replenishing the chlorine supply for water treatment plants. 
• Support to restore disrupted municipal services, including solid waste management, water, and sanitation operations, as appealed by the Gaza Strip municipalities. 
• Delivery of essential WASH services and provisions to IDPs in collective centres, including drinking water and hygiene kits. 

Response to date 

Since 7 October WASH partners have provided:  

• Some 9,500 hygiene kits to families in the UNRWA IDP centres.  
• 1,950 cubic metres of drinking water trucked to IDP centres and host families.  
• 175 cubic metres of bottled water among IDPs in UNRWA shelters. 
• Four water storage tanks, with a capacity of 10 cubic metres, and twenty others, with a capacity of 1.5 cubic metres each, to be used by communities and shelters. 
• 8,000 units of ten litres of water capacity.  
• 4,000 water purification tools for the hosted families in vulnerable communities and IDP centres.  
• 211 cubic metres of fuel to WASH facilities. 
• 5 cubic metres of anti-scaling to desalination plants. 

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 counseling and referrals for affected communities to access life-saving services. The PSEA Network monitors calls daily and will increase the number of counselors if necessary.