One month on, civilians pay the heavy price of intense violence
Renewed hostilities in Israel and Gaza –unprecedented in scale and intensity– reached the one-month mark and the human toll of the conflict is both staggering and heartbreaking. Thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands injured, many of them young children. In Israel, families of over 240 hostages have no news from their loved ones, enduring 31 days of terrible suffering. Over 200,000 Israelis remain displaced from their homes. In Gaza, close to 1.5 million people are displaced and many of them have seen their homes and neighborhoods turned into rubble. As essential supplies and energy –crucial to operate hospitals, shelters, water facilities, bakeries– are running out fast, people are desperately trying to find food, water, and shelter for their families. Aid entry remains both insufficient and unpredictable, further exacerbating a dire situation. As hostilities continue unabated and keep increasing in intensity, nowhere in Gaza is safe and every day is a struggle to stay alive.
While the numbers of seriously injured people soared, health care workers in Gaza and in Israel showed incredible courage and dedication, working around the clock to save lives, not knowing if their own families were safe. In Gaza, medical teams continued to work amidst the violence and with insufficient water, electricity, and medical supplies. Hospitals are meant to be sanctuaries for the sick and wounded, places to save lives and provide care. Tragically, over the past month they have also become scenes of death and destruction, despite their special protection under international humanitarian law.
While the world’s attention focused on the tragedy in Israel and Gaza, a steady rise in violence gripped the West Bank. Over 150 people lost their lives, over 2,000 were seriously injured, and over 2,000 were arrested. Entire communities lost their lands, homes, or livelihoods.
Initially drawing on its built-in emergency response capacity, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) swiftly adjusted and stepped up its response, coupling life-saving operations with its role as guardian of international humanitarian law (IHL) and its strong protection mandate: the ICRC has called incessantly for respect for IHL, for civilian lives, for access to and release of hostages in Gaza, for more lifesaving aid to reach people in Gaza, and for resumption of access to Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention.
We are working closely with our partners, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the Magen David Adom (MDA) in Israel, to support their respective emergency services and coordinate a collective Red Cross Red Crescent Movement response.
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