According to Gaza’s health authorities, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that around 62,681 Palestinians have been harmed by Israeli attacks in response to violent actions by Hamas in Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and around 250 people being held captive.

According to OCHA, two Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in Gaza since Friday. The total number of soldiers killed in the ground operation is now 193, with 1,203 reported injured by the Israeli military.

During this time, the United Nations aid coordination office reported a total of 343 Palestinian fatalities and an additional 573 individuals wounded.

The Secretary-General’s request for a two-State solution.

The recent update occurred as Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers readied themselves for individual discussions with their European Union counterparts on Monday in Brussels. This came after UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his disapproval of the ongoing violence in Gaza, calling it “heartbreaking and completely unacceptable”.

During a meeting with the Group of 77 countries and China (G77) in Kampala, Uganda on Sunday, Mr. Guterres referred to the Middle East as a “tinderbox” and urged for efforts to be made in preventing conflict from erupting in the region.

“Israel’s military operations have spread mass destruction and killed civilians on a scale unprecedented during my time as Secretary-General,” Mr. Guterres said, having earlier reiterated his support for a two-State solution for Israelis and Palestinians. 

He stated that denying the Palestinian people the right to have their own state would only prolong the conflict, which is already a significant threat to global peace and security. This would also worsen division and give confidence to extremists around the world.

Hunger relief

According to OCHA, the extent of need in Gaza following over three months of heavy bombing is significant. Currently, only 15 bakeries are functioning in Gaza, with six located in Rafah and nine in Deir al Balah. There are currently no open bakeries north of Wadi Gaza.

Most of these operational bakeries have been receiving assistance from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), specifically in the form of flour, salt, yeast, and sugar.

According to the most recent update from OCHA on Sunday, approximately 250,000 individuals were able to buy bread at a reduced cost through this program.

Communications blackouts

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced on Monday that telecommunication shutdowns have been ongoing for seven days.

The UN agency stated on X, previously known as Twitter, that the interruption of telecommunication services hinders individuals from obtaining critical information, contacting emergency personnel, and hampers humanitarian aid efforts.

The most recent update from UNRWA states that 1.7 million individuals in Gaza have been officially displaced. Sadly, among these displaced individuals, 335 have lost their lives while seeking shelter in UNRWA’s facilities and 1,161 have been injured. Additionally, since October 7th, 151 UNWRA staff members have been killed and 141 of their installations have been damaged.

Source: news.un.org