Reports
A total of 129 Palestinians, including 44 children, were injured by Israeli forces during the “Great March of Return” (GMR) demonstrations near the perimeter fence between Gaza and Israel. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, 60 people were hospitalized for their injuries while the rest were treated in the field. Israeli sources reported that on several occasions, protesters approached the fence and threw explosive devices, resulting in no Israeli injuries. The protests that took place on 13 and 20 December recorded some of the lowest numbers of injuries since the start of the GMR on March 2018.
Longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from the Gaza Strip have undermined the living conditions of about two million Palestinians. Many of the restrictions, originally imposed by Israel in the early 1990s and also in 2000s, when Israel shut down the Gaza airport and safe passage between Gaza and West Bank, were intensified after June 2007, following the Hamas takeover of Gaza, the imposition of a blockade and the closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt (Rafah reopened in 2018). These restrictions limit access to livelihoods, essential basic services and housing, disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future. In recent months, OCHA has witnessed some easing of restrictions, such as the opening Kerem Shalom crossing on Fridays for the entry of Qatari-funded fuel for the Gaza Power Plant (GPP) and an increase in the number of permits issued to Palestinians classified as business people.
In November 2019, 64 Palestinian-owned structures were demolished or seized, displacing 141 people, including 71 children, and otherwise affecting the livelihoods or access to services of over 400 others. Fifty-seven of these structures, located in Area C or East Jerusalem, were targeted on grounds of lack of building permits, while the other seven, in an Area B community, were demolished on punitive grounds.
39 low-lying areas in the Gaza Strip at risk of flooding in winter. Demolitions, new settlement outpost and land confiscation put further pressure on Bethlehem farmers. New report reveals high levels of gender-based violence, especially in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy, east of Khan Yunis (Gaza), and injured another eight Palestinians, including six children. The incident occurred on Friday, 29 November, when a group of youths approached Israel’s perimeter fence around Gaza and clashed with Israeli forces. According to Israeli sources, the youths burned tires and threw stones and explosive devices at the Israeli soldiers.
Longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from the Gaza Strip have undermined the living conditions of about two million Palestinians. Many of the restrictions, originally imposed by Israel in the early 1990s and also 2000s, when Israel shut down the Gaza airport and safe passage between Gaza and West Bank, were intensified after June 2007, following the Hamas takeover of Gaza, the imposition of a blockade and the closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt (Rafah reopened in 2018). These restrictions limit access to livelihoods, essential basic services and housing,disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future. In recent months,OCHA has witnessed some easing of restrictions such as the opening Kerem Shalom crossing on Fridays for the entry of Qatari-funded fuel for the Gaza Power Plant (GPP) and an increase in the number of permits issued to Palestinians classified as business people.
On 12 November, the Israeli Air Forces targeted and killed a senior operative in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s armed wing in Gaza, triggering two days of intense hostilities, which resulted in extensive Palestinian casualties and property damage. A cessation of hostilities entered into force in the morning hours of 14 November and has been largely holding, despite some sporadic rocket and mortar firing from Gaza.
In October 2019, the Israeli authorities demolished or seized 50 Palestinian-owned structures, displacing 80 people, including 41 children, and otherwise affecting the livelihoods or access to services of 216 others. All but two structures were demolished or seized due to the lack of building permits, which are nearly impossible or Palestinians to obtain.
34 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip during a two-day escalation, including eight children and three women. Half of vulnerable families living in rented accommodation in northern Gaza face eviction threats and legal action due to inability to pay rent. The 2019 fishing catch in Gaza grew by 34 per cent compared to 2018, following increased access to the sea off Gaza’s coast. Record 27,000 tons yield expected in current olive harvest, amid ongoing concerns over access restrictions and settler violence.
In this document
- Overview | October 2019
- Families in Gaza fight an uphill battle to stave off eviction threats
- Gaza’s fisheries: record expansion of fishing limit and relative increase in fish catch; shooting and detention incidents at sea continue
- Olive harvest season: expected record yield compromised due to access restrictions and settler violence
On 2 November, a 27-year-old Palestinian civilian man was killed and another one was injured during a series of Israeli air strikes targeting military sites and open areas across the Gaza Strip. The two men were hit south-west of Khan Younis, while inside an agricultural structure that according to Israeli sources was used for military purposes. During the two preceding days, a Palestinian armed group had fired several rockets towards southern Israel, one of which hit a building in Sderot town, resulting in damage
