Nearly 1.5 million people in Gaza are internally displaced (IDPs). Of them, some 690,000 are sheltering in 149 UNRWA facilities, 122,000 in hospitals, churches, and public buildings, 99,000 in 82 non-UNRWA schools, and the remainder with host families.
Since the start of hostilities, 14 out of 35 hospitals with inpatient capacities have stopped functioning and 51 (71 per cent) of all primary care facilities across Gaza (72) have shut down due to damage or lack of fuel.
In the northern areas of the Gaza Strip, access to drinking water is uncertain. Water supply from Israel came to a halt on 8 October. Furthermore, following the intensification of Israeli ground operations, most water trucking operations and distribution of bottled water were suspended. Most municipal water wells have reportedly shut down after depleting their fuel reserves
Access to bread is increasingly challenging. The only operative mill in Gaza remains unable to grind wheat due to lack of electricity and fuel. Eleven bakeries have been struck and destroyed since 7 October. Only one of the bakeries contracted by WFP, and eight other bakeries in the southern and Middle areas have been intermittently providing bread to shelters, depending on the availability of flour and fuel. People wait long hours in bakeries' queues, where they are exposed to airstrikes.
Between 1 and 2 November, Israeli forces arrested at least 135 Palestinians, including two women, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, bringing the total number of those arrested since 7 October to at least 1,900, according to Palestinian sources. UN’s Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has received consistent and credible reports of widespread cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees. Two Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody since 7 October.
For the full report: Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #28
Ghazal, 14, became homeless when her family home was destroyed in early October 2023. When she was just five, she lost her previous home in hostilities and remained displaced for two years. Photo by © UNICEF/El Baba, 2 November 2023