Situation overview

Gaza Strip

On 15 June, hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip participated in demonstrations and protests near the Israeli perimeter fence and launched incendiary balloons into Israel. Three Palestinians were injured during the demonstrations and dozens of fires were reported in Israel. Overnight 15 June, Israeli forces carried out the first airstrikes on Gaza since a ceasefire came into effect on 21 May, reportedly targeting military sites, with no injuries or damage reported. The UN United Secretary-General expressed his concern over the most recent round of violence and called for “the cessation of hostilities (to) be maintained and solidified in order to give space for the relevant parties to work out arrangements to stabilize the situation.” The launching of incendiary balloons has continued, with more extensive airstrikes on Gaza reported overnight 17 June.

According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), during the escalation, 260 Palestinians, including 66 children and 41 women were killed in Gaza, of whom 129 are believed to be civilians, 64 members of armed groups, and 67 are undetermined. About 249 of these, including 63 children and 41 women, were seemingly killed by Israeli Forces. Almost 2,000 Palestinians were injured during the hostilities, including over 600 children and 400 women, some of whom may suffer from a long-term disability requiring rehabilitation.

At the height of the escalation, 113,000 IDPs sought shelter and protection at UNRWA schools or with hosting families. There are still about 8,400 IDPs, including 213 people in two UNRWA schools, primarily those whose houses were destroyed or so severely damaged as to be uninhabitable, some 1,500 housing units combined, according to local authorities. An estimated 22,618 housing units sustained partial damage, as did multiple water and sanitation facilities and infrastructure, 179 government schools and 33 health facilities. On 15 June, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing estimated that 30 per cent of rubble, about 110,000 tons, had been removed so far, with the help of local contractors and Egyptian engineering teams. 

Although most damaged electricity feeder lines and networks have been reconnected, there are still rolling daily power cuts of 11 hours per day across Gaza, due to the disruption to some lines and insufficient fuel for the Gaza Power Plant, which is now totally reliant on Egyptian-imported fuel purchased on the local market.

The Israeli authorities have kept the Erez passenger crossing closed for most Palestinians in Gaza, with the exception of urgent cases, including medical referrals. They have also kept Kerem Shalom Crossing open for the entry of specific basic commodities, including food, animal fodder and medical supplies, as well as fuel for the private sector and for UNRWA. All other imports are prohibited. Since 10 May, the Israeli authorities have not authorized the exit of any goods from Gaza. 

Truckloads of aid, including food and medicine from Egypt and other countries, continue to enter through the Rafah crossing on most days. The crossing is also open for the entry and exit of authorized travellers, including Palestinians injured in the recent escalation seeking medical treatment in Egypt. The Egyptian authorities are also allowing food, fuel and construction materials to enter Gaza through the Salah Ad Din gate. 

Since 25 May, the Israeli authorities have allowed fishing to resume off the Gaza coast, but only up to six nautical miles offshore.

West Bank, including East Jerusalem

Clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians continued across the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, leading to four Palestinian fatalities. On 11 June, a 15-year-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli forces, during clashes that broke out during protests in Beita village in Nablus against the construction of a new Israeli settlement. On 17 June, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy died in Beita from wounds sustained by live ammunition the day before. Since 3 May, Israeli forces have killed five Palestinians, including two children, and injured at least 920 others during protests against the establishment of the settlement on Beita land. 

On 12 June, a Palestinian woman who ignored an order to stop walking towards Israeli forces at Qalandiya checkpoint, was shot and killed; according to Israeli sources, she was carrying a knife. On 16 June, a 29-year-old Palestinian woman who had allegedly tried to run over Israeli Forces near Hizma (Jerusalem) and then brandished a knife, was shot and killed. 

Attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and their property continued. In the southern West Bank, 450 trees were vandalized in four separate incidents. In Burin (Nablus), about 45 olive trees were cut down on 15 June.

Sheikh Jarrah

In East Jerusalem, Palestinian families still face the threat of forced eviction by the Israeli authorities from their homes in the Karm Al Jaouni area of Sheikh Jarrah, due to court cases initiated by Israeli settler organizations. The High Court of Justice will hold a hearing on 2 August regarding the eviction of seven households.

Since 3 May, Israeli forces have been stationed at all five entrances to Karm Al Jaouni, allowing entry only to Palestinian neighbourhood residents, who are ordered to present identifying documents, as well as to Israeli settlers, journalists, ambulances and UN vehicles. These checkpoints were reinforced on 16 May after a Palestinian rammed his car into seven members of Israeli forces, injuring them, and was subsequently shot dead. According to the community, access by Israeli settlers has been permitted without ID checks by Israeli forces.

Funding

On 27 May, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the oPt, Lynn Hastings, launched the inter-agency Flash Appeal, requesting $95 million to support emergency humanitarian and early recovery responses over a three-month period.  The response plan envisages a swift transition to an early recovery phase, including the rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure services and networks, and then to a medium- and long-term reconstruction and recovery framework. The plan complements the $417 million appealed for in the 2021 oPt Humanitarian Response Plan, covering pre-existing humanitarian needs.

So far, $26.7 million, or 28 per cent per cent of the amount requested in the Flash Appeal has been raised. Including resources outside the Flash Appeal, $32 million have been mobilized in support of humanitarian response activities in the oPt.

Also, before the reporting period, the Humanitarian Coordinator released $18 million from the oPt Humanitarian Fund, with 95 per cent of the funding allocated to Gaza, and five per cent to health, protection and shelter activities in the West Bank. The Emergency Relief Coordinator in New York released $4.5 for the Gaza humanitarian response, including for the safe removal of ERW, rental subsidies for refugees whose homes were destroyed, and the restoration of basic services such as health care and water.

Total funding for Flash Appeal response by donors

Donor	Inside the Response Plan	Outside the Response Plan	Total in US$
oPt HF	18,000,000		18,000,000
ECHO	4,700,000	500,000	5,200,000
CERF	4,500,000		4,500,000
Germany	4,300,000		4,300,000
Japan	3,000,000		3,000,000
UAE	2,700,000		2,700,000
Canada	2,320,000		2,320,000
CDCS - Le Centre de Crise et de Soutien	1,024,000	714,970	1,738,970
WHO		1,200,000	1,200,000
World Bank		1,000,000	1,000,000
Norway	914,000		914,000
Other funding	2,087,590	1,919,383	4,006,973
Grand Total	43,545,590	5,334,353	48,879,943
*Other funding includes contributions from donors in the amount below US$900,00, as follows: AECID, Alliance 2015, Anera, Bank of Palestine, Danida Emergency Response Fund (DERF), Fundo Alava Emergencia, Human Appeal – UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, MDM, NORAD through NPA, Oxfam, Qatar Charity, Qatar Red Crescent (QRC), Save the Children International, Secours Isalmique France (SIF), SIDA, UNICEF.

COVID-19

As of 17 June, the number of people confirmed to currently have COVID-19 across the oPt was 3,584, down from 4,216 last week. Since the outbreak began in the oPt, about 334,000 of the 341,175 cases have recovered, and 3,813 have died. The number of patients in intensive care units is nine, with two people requiring mechanical ventilation. The Case Fatality Rate (CFR), the proportion of deaths among confirmed cases, remains at 1.1 per cent.

In Gaza, follow-up on COVID-19 prevention measures, as well as testing and vaccination, was severely disrupted during the conflict, with testing limited to symptomatic people reporting to hospitals. As of 17 June, some 3,317 active cases were reported, down from 4,216 last week, who were isolated either at home or in hospitals designated for COVID-19 treatment by the MoH. The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases is 112,688, with 108,301 people recovered, and 1,050 deaths recorded. Gaza now accounts for 90 per cent of all active cases in the oPt.

The West Bank continues to witness a decline in confirmed COVID-19 cases and in related deaths. The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) vaccination campaign is ongoing, with two additional vaccination facilities open in the northern West Bank. UNRWA is supporting the PA Ministry of Health (MoH) in the campaign by administering vaccines in its health centres to Palestine refugees and staff. As of 17 June, about 436,000 Palestinians have been vaccinated, including about 110,000 Palestinian workers who have been vaccinated by the Israeli authorities, representing about 8.7 per cent of the population, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

For latest WHO COVID-19 update, see here.

Vaccine Tracking (as of 13 June 2021)

Status: Arrived from all sources: 783,400 doses in total
Vaccine	No. of doses	Source	Notes
Moderna	2,000	IL	Donation
Sputnik V	10,000	RU	Donation – 2,000 doses were sent to Gaza
	60,000	UAE	Donation to Gaza only. Last shipment of 40,000 doses arrived 12-Mar-2021
	20,000	RU	Donation. Delivered to the W
	100,000	PA	PA purchase. Delivered.
AZ SK Bio	168,000	COVAX	Phase 1 (168,000 doses): First shipment (1 of 3) 24,000 doses arrived 16 March 2021: WB-14,400; Gaza – 9,600 Second shipment (2 of 3) 72,000 doses arrived 19 April 2021: WB – 43,200; Gaza – 28,800 Third shipment (3 of 3) of estimated 72,000 doses: (Gaza – 9,600 and WB – 62,400). Additional doses for Gaza expected to be sent from Nablus in June from this shipment at the request of Gaza
Pfizer	37,440	COVAX	Arrived 17 Mar 2021. The shipment delivered to WB- 25,740 and Gaza - 11,700
Pfizer	102,960	COVAX	WB-56,160 doses; Gaza – 46,800 doses
Sinopharm	100,000	China	Donation arrived 29 Mar 2021. delivered to Nablus Cold Store. 10,000 delivered to Gaza.
Sinopharm	10,000	Jordan	Donation to Gaza
AZ SII	25,000	PA MoH	Arrived 30 Mar 2021 - PA Bilateral purchase from AZ - Serum Institute of India
AZ R-Pharm	48,000	PA MoH	Arrived 13 April 2021 – PA bilateral purchase from AZ-R-Pharm
Sputnik - light	100,000	PA MoH	Arrived 12 June 2021 – PA bilateral purchase from Gamaleya WB – 70,800; Gaza – 29,200
Status: In pipeline: Donation (estimated)
Vaccine	No. of doses	Source	Notes
Sinopharm	25,000	Jordan	Bilateral donation from Jordanian private company
Sputnik V	10,000	UAE	Donation to Gaza
Status: In ipeline: Bilateral Deals (estimated)
Vaccine	No. of doses	Source	Notes
AZ-Russia	2,000,000	PA purchase	In progress (48,000 doses delivered 13 April, see above) PA MOH reports this deal is cancelled (to be verified)
Pfizer	4,000,000	PA purchase	MoH confirmed in a meeting with WHO that the deal is concluded. 205,000 doses expected Q2; 1.8 million Q3 and 2.0 million Q4
Sputnik V	500,000	PA purchase	Under negotiation

Humanitarian response & ongoing needs

Protection

Priority needs

• There is an urgent need to scale up Psychosocial Support (PSS) activities for children and families, including non-structural recreational activities, structured PSS and specialized mental health services. Frontline workers, such as counsellors, case managers and protection professionals are also in need of self-care activities.
• There is a need for specialized child protection case management services for vulnerable children, including those at risk of child labour or school dropout, as well as refugee children and children with disabilities.
• On 9 June, a nine-year-old boy was killed, and his older brother was severely injured by the detonation of an explosive remnant of war (ERW) in Gaza city. The need to educate civilians about recognizing and mitigating explosive risks remains urgent. UNMAS has received requests for 155 assessments from the UN, development, humanitarian partners, and the Palestinian Water and Energy Authorities to assess explosive hazards at sites including residential areas, markets, health clinics and schools in the Gaza Strip. At least 15 deep buried bombs have been located and require excavation before Gaza residents and humanitarian personnel can safely return to and use these sites.
• UN personnel require Emergency Trauma Bag (ETB) training to mitigate the impact of explosive risks, should they be involved in, or in the proximity of, an uncontrolled explosion.

Responses already implemented

• In Gaza, Cluster partners continued providing structured PSS activities, including individual and group counselling sessions for 669 children and 50 caregivers. In addition, partners provided 57 children and 394 caregivers with specialized mental health services, while specialized child protection case management services were provided for some 180 children. Telephone counselling services were provided to two children and 220 caregivers.
• Cluster partners organized supportive supervision and stress management sessions for nearly 100 protection and health professionals and caregivers to help them better deal with stress.
• UNMAS carried out two explosive risk assessments, including at an UNRWA school in Rafah. During the reporting period, UNMAS provided 18 direct explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) sessions, reaching 185 people, including briefing partners on recognizing and mitigating explosive risk. Another 193 people received ERW awareness-raising sessions.
• In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, partners continued delivering child protection services to vulnerable and affected children. This included 90 family-based psycho-education sessions reaching 249 children and 201 caregivers. In East Jerusalem, 29 children received structured PSS from partners, while 61 students were supported with remedial and supportive education sessions. Another 34 mothers received positive parenting sessions.

Key constraints/gaps

• Infrastructure damage alongside recurrent electricity cuts and internet disconnection across Gaza is undermining outreach and remote services.
• In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, access remains a key challenge due to the closures of village entrances by Israeli forces, checkpoints, Israeli  settler demonstrations and sporadic clashes. The absence of international protective presence, due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, remains a major concern.

Health

Priority needs

• Trauma and emergency care, including the pre-positioning of supplies.
• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support.
• Access to essential health services, including primary health care, maternal & child health, non-communicable disease management, sexual and reproductive health, and COVID-response.
• Stronger partner coordination and information management.

Responses already implemented

• Partners continue to mobilize resources for the procurement and supply of some essential drugs, disposables and equipment for responding to current needs, as well as prepositioning.
• A Gaza Health Cluster Meeting was held focusing on the current situation and responses.
• Response activities related to COVID-19 have-intensified, including diagnostics, case management, infection prevention and vaccinations.
• Partners have continued to provide first aid and emergency services to those injured in clashes across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Key constraints/gaps

• Funding remains a major challenge.

Shelter

Priority needs

• Temporary shelter solutions for IDPs through cash assistance, alongside support for host families.
• Repair of uninhabitable homes to reduce displacement and meet the growing need for homes.
• Repair of partially damaged homes and interventions for the most vulnerable groups, including female-headed households, the elderly, and persons with  disabilities (PWDs).
• Provision of essential non-food items (NFIs).

Responses already implemented

• Coordination with the relevant local authorities to better estimate the number of housing units destroyed or damaged and the number of IDPs.
• Since the start of the escalation, NFIs kits, hygiene kits, e-vouchers and multipurpose cash have been distributed to some 5,500 households.

Key constraints/gaps

• In Gaza, adequate access to construction material is still a challenge, due to import restrictions.
• Longstanding housing shortage in Gaza makes rent unaffordable for displaced families.
• IDPs are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, due to overcrowding and the use of shared facilities.

Funding

• The United Nations Development Programme has secured about $1.75 million to cover Temporary Shelter Cash Assistance and cash support, including for some 500 families with destroyed and uninhabitable homes, until the end of June 2022.

Education

Priority needs

• Supporting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of students, parents, and educators in Gaza, through MHPSS support.
• Ensuring that children can access safe and inclusive learning opportunities through the emergency repair of education facilities and the provision of non-formal education services during the summer break.
• 59 UNRWA schools used as temporary shelter need rehabilitation before they can re-open in August.

Responses already implemented

• The findings of a school assessment carried out by the Palestinian Authority (PA) were disseminated to relevant stakeholders. Assessments of private schools, higher education facilities and kindergartens are ongoing.
• The Cluster has established temporary thematic working groups to coordinate the school rehabilitation response and summer programmes for vulnerable children. This includes the provision of MHPSS and remedial education.
• The minimum standards for summer programmes are being developed and will be circulated to all implementing partners to coordinate summer activities among the various service providers.
• Partners are implementing remote MHPSS interventions, targeting children and their caregivers.

Key constraints/gaps

• Children’s ability to access education, both at school and at home, is undermined by Gaza’s chronic electricity deficit, worsened due to the escalation. Electricity cuts will particularly affect the 12th grade examination process, starting on 24 June.
• The timeframe for rehabilitating schools in Gaza remains of concern, considering the new academic year begins in mid-August.
• There is a severe lack of funding allocated for Education in Emergencies, including the rehabilitation of education facilities and for summer activities.

Funding

• $1.8 million allocated from ‘Education Cannot Wait’ to UNRWA and UNICEF to rehabilitate damaged schools and implement summer programmes.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Priority needs

• Rapid repair of affected WASH infrastructures so that water and sanitation services in the most vulnerable communities can be restored.
• Support critical WASH facilities, such as water desalination plants, wastewater treatment plants, sewer and water pumping station by providing operational and maintenance materials.
• Provide IDPs and host families with hygiene items.

Responses already implemented

• In Gaza, partners are delivering 338,500 litres of emergency fuel chemicals and chlorine to support the operation of 113 main WASH facilities, benefitting over one million people.
• Partners are providing 10,200 households with trucked water, hygiene material and WASH items.
• Partners are coordinating with the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) and the Shelter Cluster to target 1,250 families in Gaza with the rapid rehabilitation of household WASH facilities. 

Key constraints/gaps

• Power cuts in Gaza are severely affecting WASH operational capacities.
• WASH service providers in Gaza report that their stocks of maintenance materials are running out, including materials that Cluster partners supplied prior to the escalation as emergency preparedness measures.

Funding

• WASH Cluster partners have secured $5.8 million, targeting 600,000 people.

Food Security

Priority needs

• In Gaza, ensure the opening of Kerem Shalom crossing to ensure entry and exit of agricultural inputs and products.
• Expand the fishing zone for fishermen from six up to 20 nautical miles.
• Rehabilitate damaged agricultural facilities, including water wells, irrigation systems, greenhouses, and livestock farms.
• Conduct a needs assessment of agricultural damage and losses.
• Provide food assistance to IDPs and new and existing food insecure.
• Conduct an inventory of the stored pesticides and fertilizers that were destroyed.
• Provide assistance to rebuild the productive capacities of small holders and small food factories (conditional cash for work activity).

Responses already implemented

• An initial assessment by the Ministry of Agriculture of damage to agricultural wells, ponds, reservoirs, greenhouses, and livestock farms, amounting to US$ 204 million, is ongoing.
• Cluster partners continued providing cash assistance, in the form of food e-voucher and multipurpose cash assistance to affected households.
• Cluster partners have supported nearly 300,000 people in need in Gaza through emergency e-voucher assistance and in-kind food assistance.
• Cluster partners are providing the remaining IDPs in emergency shelters with food items.

Key constraints/gaps

• Funding gaps are hindering the rehabilitation of damaged agricultural facilities.
• WFP requires some $24 million to continue providing regular food assistance to over 435,000 vulnerable people in the oPt until November 2021. Another $9.3 million is needed to provide emergency and recovery assistance over the coming three months for affected people in Gaza.
• Power shortages, coupled with damage to solar powered systems, are hindering farmers from irrigating their crops and breeders from providing water to livestock and poultry.
• The six nautical mile fishing restriction is limiting fisher livelihoods.

Funding

• FAO has secured $610,000 to provide urgent fodder to affected breeders. Another $1 million is earmarked for the same purpose through the Humanitarian Fund.
• WFP received a contribution of $2.7 million from the United Arab Emirates and EUR 500,000 from France.

Coordination and support services

Priority needs

• Currently there is a back-log of shipment of humanitarian assistance that cleared through Ashdod and entered through Kerem Shalom into Gaza.  While effPredictable delivery of humanitarian commodities through Kerem Shalom.

Responses already implemented

• The Logistics Cluster continued following up on the Kerem Shalom Crossing and the number of trucks crossing for the private sector. Between 10 and 16 June, some 560 trucks entered Gaza Strip, containing fuel, medical supplies and materials for human and animal consumption.

Key constraints/gaps

• The inability for national staff to enter or exit Gaza through Erez remains a major operational constraint.