What’s happening in Gaza and Israel?

Last updated: 6 September 2024

Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. Over 40,000 people across Gaza have now been killed by the Israeli military. Famine-like conditions persist, with children dying from malnutrition. The poliovirus, long eradicated in Gaza, has now re-emerged as a direct result of the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure and Israel’s restrictions on repairs and supplies. Recent analysis by Oxfam found that people are having to survive on less than a third of the water they need each day to survive. Constant evacuation orders, are forcing families to constantly move and there is nowhere safe for them to go.

• All of Gaza is at risk of famine
• One in five people living in Gaza face catastrophic levels of hunger
• Israel is actively preventing the delivery of international aid.
• More than 2 million people are still in desperate need of aid.
• Israel has over the past ten months attacked bakeries, food stores and aid trucks, water infrastructure and places of worship.

Over the past ten months, the Government of Israel has been carrying out relentless airstrikes and ground attacks on Palestinian civilians and declared a 'total siege on Gaza' - actively severing access to water, food, electricity, fuel and other vital supplies. People in Gaza are facing starvation, death and disease.

• The people in Gaza used to rely on about 500 truckloads a day for food and commercial goods. Over the past few months, only a fraction of food that used to be delivered daily has been allowed through. Rafah crossing, which was being used as the main entry point for trucks into Gaza, has been shut since the beginning of May and while there are other crossings, they are barely operational.
• Without a ceasefire, and an end to the siege, it is extremely difficult for the international humanitarian system to work safely to distribute aid and help protect the lives of civilians. Crops, farms and fishing fleets have been destroyed by the bombing, there is no food for the livestock.
• Right now, the entire population doesn’t have enough food and a high risk of famine persists in all areas of Gaza. People, including children, are already dying of malnutrition and dehydration.
• The price of many foods has increased dramatically. To buy food, more than half of the households in Gaza have been forced to exchange their clothes for money and one third have had to resort to picking up rubbish to sell.
• The collective punishment of a civilian population with bombing, violence and blocking essential supplies, is illegal under international law. The Government of Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war.

Having been under an Israeli blockade for the last 16 years, Gaza already had limited ability to manage its essential resources, particularly water.

Now, more than two million people are struggling to survive without access to clean water, which is a fundamental human right.

• Israel has destroyed most of Gaza's sewage treatment works, while rubbish is not being collected risking disease spreading.
• The fuel needed to keep power plants running is being prevented from entering Gaza.
• Bottled water stocks are running low.
• 94% of Gaza’s water is unfit for human consumption.
• Israel’s cutting of external water supplies, systematic destruction of water facilities and deliberate obstruction of aid have reduced the amount of water available in Gaza by 94 per cent to 4.74 litres a day per person – just under a third of the recommended minimum for survival in emergencies and less than a single toilet flush.
• There is no access to clean water in the northern regions of Gaza.

Right now, Gaza has just 13 hospitals (partially) working, 23 have been destroyed. They have all been damaged, have limited access to fuel, medical supplies and clean water. They are struggling to cope and the health system has been decimated across Gaza. Out of these, only two hospitals are providing maternity services.

Those most at risk are people with disabilities, pregnant or new mothers, those recovering from injuries and people with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems.

Right now, nearly 2 million people – over 90 per cent of the entire population have been forced from their homes in Gaza amid ongoing airstrikes and bombardment. Many have been displaced multiple times, forced to evacuate to an even smaller area - nowhere in Gaza is safe. Over 60 per cent of residential buildings have been damaged.

People are sheltering together in overcrowded schools, mosques, tents, and makeshift shelters. Many are staying with family and friends, all while facing a lack of power and limited access to water, food, hygiene, and health services.

Since 7 October, violence has also escalated in the West Bank, as over 600 Palestinians have been killed and thousands more people have been injured. The majority of people have been killed by Israeli military forces, but some have also been killed by Israeli settlers.

On the 7 October Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups carried out appalling, brutal attacks on civilians in Israel. Over 1,200 people were killed and 240 people were taken hostage. Over 100 people currently remain hostage in Gazal.

The Government of Israel responded by launching ongoing air strikes and ground attacks in Gaza resulting in catastrophic loss of life and injuries to Palestinian civilians. Israel also implemented a ‘total siege’ on 9 October stopping all supplies of food, water and fuel from entering Gaza.

Right now, 2.3 million people are trapped, with nowhere safe to go, under constant bombardment and evacuation orders from the Israeli military.

Even before the events of last October, the Israeli military has occupied Palestinian territory, which includes Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem for 57 years. Israel also imposed, a blockade on Gaza for over 17 years,. which has devastated Gaza's economy, left most people unable to leave Gaza, restricted them from essential services such as healthcare, and cut Palestinians off from each other. Almost 80 per cent of people in Gaza already relied on aid to survive.

Military force cannot resolve this decades-long conflict and this recent escalation in violence is not bringing us any closer to the peace that Palestinians and Israelis need and deserve.

Oxfam has worked in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel since the 1950s. We have supported communities in Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem (where the Government of Israel maintains full military and civil control) to tackle the root causes of conflict, build resilience to sudden shocks and protect their rights.

The continuing bombardment, and restriction on goods entering Gaza, has made a full-scale humanitarian response extremely difficult. Despite the restrictions and dangers, Oxfam staff and partners have been responding as best they can within their communities and where they are now sheltering

Among these groups are The Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), Juzoor, the Culture & Free Thought Association (CFTA), and Palestinian Environmental Friends (PEF). They are responding in their communities by providing vouchers, and essential hygiene supplies like soap, shampoo, menstrual products, and toothpaste. This assistance is reaching those living in makeshift shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis, in the southern region of the Gaza Strip.

Oxfam is calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire for Israel and Palestine, and for Israel to allow unfettered access to humanitarian relief. We are calling for an end to the blockade and the occupation and the recognition of the Palestinian right to self-determination. These steps are crucial for bringing about peace and stability in the region.

• An immediate and permanent ceasefire
• An end to the total siege and allow unfettered access for humanitarian relief
• The protection of all civilians, including the release of all hostages
• The UK to stop arms sales to Israel
• Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent the risk of genocide
• Work towards a lasting and just peace for all Palestinians and Israelis

The need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire

The international community, including the UK, must use all tools at their disposal to secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire as this is the only way to stop the death and destruction, ensure the safe release of hostages and get more aid to those who need it.

A ceasefire must also be a precursor to creating a lasting and just peace for all Palestinians and Israelis. To break the cycle of violence, the international community must tackle the root causes of injustice and violence that is being perpetrated under the Israeli occupation and blockade of Gaza.

Allow unfettered access to humanitarian relief

The Government of Israel must end the total siege of Gaza and allow enough humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, food, fuel, and water can reach all those who need it.

Protect all civilians and release the hostages

All parties in any conflict must protect civilians during military action and uphold International Humanitarian Law. This means ensuring the unconditional release of all remaining hostages held captive by Hamas, and the protection of civilian infrastructure in Gaza, such as hospitals and schools.

The UK must stop selling arms to Israel

The UK sells millions of pounds worth of arms to Israel. The UK government is complicit in this catastrophe until it stops fuelling the conflict with arms and military support. Stopping arms sales is an important step towards securing the permanent ceasefire that people desperately need. It is critical that the UK Government immediately suspend both existing and new licences for all arms sales, whether direct to Israel or via third parties. Without such concrete action, glaring loopholes for continued arms transfers will remain. Minor restrictions will make little meaningful difference in this appalling crisis.

Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent the risk of genocide

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) found it plausible that Israel’s acts could amount to genocide and ordered Israel to:

• Take all measures within its power to prevent the risk of genocidal acts.
• Make sure aid and services reach Palestinians under siege in Gaza.

The international community also has a responsibility under international law to act swiftly to prevent any actions that could contribute to genocide.

• For the most reliable updates on the situation, visit the UN OCHA website.
• Stay informed with Oxfam's responses to the latest escalations in Gaza.
• Read our blog post, 'Why "humanitarian pauses" or "humanitarian corridors" are not the solution in Gaza' for more insights.