The Israeli army released, on Sunday, new information about the six-month-long conflict in the Gaza Strip, revealing significant military actions and impacts. According to the latest updates, the Israeli military has killed more than 12,000 militants and targeted over 32,000 locations from the air, leading to the destruction of more than 3,600 sites.
Additionally, the army has demolished 4,250 military infrastructures. The conflict has also seen a large number of rockets fired towards Israel, with 9,100 making it through, including 3,100 from Lebanon and 35 from Syria. Since the onset of the war on October 7, Israel has suffered the loss of 604 soldiers, 260 of whom were killed during the ground operation, and has reported 3,193 injuries among its soldiers, with 497 of them categorized as serious. In response to the conflict, approximately 300,000 reserve soldiers have been mobilized, around 17% of whom are women.
The recent situation in Gaza since October 7 has been marked by severe humanitarian crises and escalating violence. The conflict has led to significant loss of life, extensive damage to infrastructure, and a dire humanitarian situation. Every hour in Gaza has seen an average of 15 people killed, six of whom are children, and 35 injured. The Israeli military’s actions have also resulted in the destruction of 12 buildings every hour during the first six days of the war. Over 100 journalists, mostly Palestinians, have been killed since the conflict began. The ongoing blockade since 2007 has severely restricted movement and access to resources for Gaza’s population of approximately 2.3 million people.
The health sector in Gaza, already under strain due to years of occupation, faces further collapse under the impact of the conflict. The World Bank reports Gaza has 1.3 hospital beds per 1,000 people, significantly less than in Israel. An influx of patients and displaced civilians into hospitals has overwhelmed these facilities, severely compromising the provision of essential health services. Nearly half a million people have been unable to access food rations due to the closure of distribution centers, and essential supplies like water and electricity are critically scarce.
The toll of the conflict has been devastating. As of December 2023, the death toll in Gaza surpassed 17,700, with another 48,780 people wounded due to incessant bombardment. The WHO has described the situation as worsening by the hour, with a significantly increasing number of internally displaced people. UNWRA reports that nearly 1.9 million people—more than 85% of Gaza’s population—have been displaced since October 7, with many seeking shelter in UNRWA installations. The health sector is particularly affected, with 613 people dying within health facilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 606 of whom were in Gaza.
In response to the crisis, UNRWA has been conducting maintenance and rehabilitation works at shelters to accommodate more displaced individuals. Phillipe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, described the conditions he witnessed in Gaza as some of the saddest moments of his 30-year humanitarian career, with everyone asking for water and food instead of pursuing education and normal life.
Hospitals in Gaza have been buckling under Israeli attacks, further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation. The ongoing conflict has made it increasingly difficult for health facilities to operate and for humanitarian aid to reach those in need. The destruction of key infrastructure, including health facilities, has left thousands without access to essential medical care.