Israel has killed 23,812 Palestinians since October 7: Health Ministry

CAIRO – 12 January 2024: At least 23,812 Palestinian civilians have been killed by the Israeli Occupation in the besieged Gaza Strip since the 7th of October 2020, announced the Ramallah-based Palestinian Ministry of Health in a daily briefing on Friday.

“There is no safe place in Gaza strip as extensive Israeli occupation bombardment persisted throughout the Gaza Strip from air, land, and sea especially in the refugee camps in central Gaza,” the statement read.

It added that about 70 per cent of the victims are women (more than 7000) and children (more than 10,000), saying “as of then, 63,572 Palestinians have been injured a large proportion of them are children.”

Meanwhile, more than 8,000 are missing under rubble, the statement said, noting that the amount of aid reaching Gaza continues to be significantly insufficient.

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated that "the humanitarian community has been left with the impossible mission of supporting more than 2 million people, even as its own staff are being killed and displaced, as communication blackouts continue, as roads are damaged and convoys are shot at, and as commercial supplies vital to survival are almost non-existent.”

It also revealed that from January 7 to 11, Israel has denied the delivery of medical supplies and fuel to the Strip, to be the fifth denial since December 26.

The Ministry said that obtaining an accurate figure of the total number of Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs) remains challenging, saying that it was estimated that 85% of the population in Gaza (around 1.93 million civilians) are forcibly displaced.

Nearly 1.4 million FDPs were registered in 155 UNRWA facilities across Gaza, of whom about one million are registered in 94 UNRWA shelters in the south.

Ratah governorate has become the primary place for displaced individuals, accommodating over one million people in an exceedingly high-density environment. This surge in population is a consequence of heightened Israeli aggression in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah compounded by evacuation orders issued by the Israeli occupation.

As of 30 December, it is estimated that about 65,000 housing units across Gaza Strip have been destroyed or rendered uninhabitable and over 290,000 housing units have been damaged.

A total of 52,000 Pregnant women, around 183 Births per day, 5,500 Babies have been born in the last month, the Ministry said, adding that 61% incubators are in the north requiring electricity, 130 Premature infants depend on incubators.

Also, Pregnant women and displaced children in shelters face challenges such as thirst, malnutrition, insufficient healthcare, dehydration, respiratory and skin ailments, severe cold, and lack of vaccinations.

In survey conducted on December 26, 2023, the UNICEF highlights significant concern regarding malnutrition, especially for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, along with over 135,000 children under the age of two.

In the West Bank and Jerusalem, a total of 343 Palestinians, have been martyred by the Israeli Occupation forces since 7 October. The 2023 is one of the deadliest years for Palestinians in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces have injured about 4000 Palestinian civilians, including at least 593 children. Also, since 7 October, at least 198 Palestinian households comprising 1,208 people, including 586 children, have been displaced amid settler violence and access restrictions.