Israel’s siege of North Gaza forces aid organizations to pause operations

PHILADELPHIA (December 13, 2024) - A new report from humanitarian organizations working in Gaza details the impossibility of operating in North Gaza due to Israel's complete blockade. The report documents Israeli-imposed movement restrictions and denials of aid, forced displacement orders, extensive destruction of roads and facilities, airstrikes targeting areas close to aid distribution sites, and attacks on humanitarian workers. These factors - together with shortages of essential resources such as water, electricity, fuel, and medical supplies - have forced most organizations present in the north to suspend operations. Almost the entire population of Gaza is facing starvation, insufficient protection from winter weather, and lack of access to water, medical care, and essential supplies.

The Humanitarian Access Snapshots are compiled by more than thirty organizations. This month's report covers November 13 through December 10, 2024. See the full Humanitarian Access Snapshot here.

According to the report:

• Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed 44,786 Palestinians and injured more than 106,000, with more than 10,000 likely buried under the rubble.
• Approximately 80% of Gaza's territory remains under forced displacement orders.
• All 41 attempts by the UN to deliver life-saving aid to the besieged people in North Gaza in November were either denied (37) or impeded (4).
• Only one Emergency Medical Team managed to reach Kamal Adwan hospital on December 1, the first time in 60 days. A few days later, the hospital was heavily bombed with no previous warning, killing four health workers, and the medical team was ordered to leave.
• Nine staff from reporting organizations and their partners were killed over this reporting period. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed 343 humanitarian workers.
• 91% of Gaza's population faces high levels of acute food insecurity. In an urgent alert issued on November 8, the IPC warned that there is a strong likelihood that famine is already occurring in North Gaza.
• Heavy rains hit the Gaza Strip on November 25, marking the start of the winter season. The worsening weather conditions are expected to affect more than 1.6 million people living in makeshift shelters.

"Every day for over a year the world has watched Israel relentlessly starve and bomb Palestinians with total impunity," said Hanady Muhiar, Palestine/Israel Country Representative for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). "Humanitarian and medical workers are targeted and killed by the Israeli military. Lifesaving aid is denied or delayed. We all have an obligation to stop these atrocities, and that means enacting an arms embargo on Israel and doing everything possible to bring about an immediate end to the genocide."

The report calls on Israel to uphold its obligations under International Humanitarian Law to protect Palestinian rights, refrain from excessive and lethal use of force, and ensure unimpeded access to healthcare and essential services across the occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Organizations also call on all states to ensure an immediate and permanent ceasefire by immediately halting the transfer of weapons, parts, and ammunition to parties at risk of violating International Law.

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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.