What’s happening in Gaza?

• More than 42,000 people have been killed by attacks from Israel. A third of these are children.
• Every three hours on average, Israeli explosive weapons hit homes, shelters, hospitals, schools, and aid distribution points.
• People who survive the violence are being deliberately deprived of everything they need to survive – food, water, medical help and shelter.
• Israel has passed a law to ban UNRWA - the biggest and most established aid agency in Gaza - from operating. This is another step in Israel’s systematic destruction of aid infrastructure and response in Gaza.
• Famine is imminent in northern Gaza, the situation is beyond catastrophic. The Israeli army has escalated its military offensive and blocked aid. Immediate action is needed to avert it.
• All of Gaza is at risk of famine, and children are already dying from malnutrition.
• Over 300 humanitarian workers have been killed by the Israeli military, including water engineers working with Oxfam partners.

Last updated: 02 December 2024

Israel controls all sea, air and land access to Gaza - it occupies all of Gaza.

• Israel is deliberately blocking life-saving essentials from entering Gaza. This is an act of collective punishment against Palestinians.
• Most border crossings are closed, including the main entry point for aid trucks in Rafah.
• The new laws restricting UNRWA from operating will further undermine the ability to distribute aid and save lives.
• Aid essentials, including those in warehouses and storage sites, have been targeted and attacked.

Despite huge obstacles, our colleagues and partners are working relentlessly to support people in their communities, often risking their lives.

Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinians in Gaza.

• All of Gaza is at risk of famine, and children are already dying from malnutrition.
• People in northern Gaza are being starved and cut off from other essentials, as Israeli bombs continue to rain down.
• Only a tiny fraction of the food that used to be delivered to Gaza each day has been able to get through.
• Crops, farms and fishing fleets have been destroyed. There is no food for livestock.
• The price of food has increased dramatically. More than half the households in Gaza have been forced to sell their clothes to afford food.

Israel is using water as a weapon of war, and over 2 million people are struggling to survive without access to clean water.

• The Israeli military has caused devastating damage to water facilities and sewage treatment works in Gaza.
• 94% of Gaza’s water is unfit for human consumption.
• Bottled water stocks are running low.
• People have less than 5 litres of water a day – that’s less than a single toilet flush - for all their needs, including drinking, cooking and washing.
• In the northern regions of Gaza, there is no access to clean water.
• This is having a dire impact on health. People are falling severely ill from easily preventable diseases like diarrhoea and jaundice.

The health system has been decimated across Gaza:

• All hospitals have been damaged, and have limited access to fuel, medical supplies and clean water.
• There are just 16 hospitals still partially working, and the remaining 20 hospitals have been destroyed.
• Only two hospitals are providing maternity services.
• Almost 1000 health workers have been killed by the Israeli military.

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

• Airstrikes and bombardment have forced nearly 2 million people – over 90% of the population – to flee their homes.
• Repeated evacuation orders are forcing families to keep moving to ever-shrinking “safe zones” – but there is nowhere safe to go.
• Forced relocation of a civilian population, without guarantees of safety or safe return, is a serious violation of humanitarian law.
• Almost 90% of residential buildings have been damaged.
• People are sheltering in overcrowded schools, mosques, tents, and makeshift shelters - without power and with limited access to water, food, hygiene, and health services.

The violence has now also escalated in Lebanon, and other areas of the Middle East. This escalation was predictable and avoidable, and is a result of the failure to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have forced more than 1 million people to flee their homes.

People are in need of humanitarian aid. Without enough food, water, shelter and medicine, conditions will become unliveable for people who have fled.

Read more about what’s happening in Lebanon

Violence has also escalated in the West Bank. More than 600 Palestinians have been killed, and thousands more people have been injured.

Most people have been killed by Israeli military forces, but some have been killed by Israeli settlers. There have been over a thousand settler attacks on Palestinians, and their land, crops, and water systems. The Israeli military has forced the demolition of more than 2,000 Palestinian homes with massive damage to public infrastructure including roads.

On 7 October 2023, Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups carried out attacks on civilians in Israel. More than 1,200 people were killed, and 240 people were taken hostage. Around 100 people currently remain hostage in Gaza.

The Government of Israel responded by launching airstrikes and ground attacks in Gaza, which continue to this day, resulting in catastrophic death and injuries to civilians. Israel also implemented a “total siege” on 9 October 2023, stopping all supplies of food, water and fuel from entering Gaza.

Right now, over 2 million people are trapped in Gaza, with nowhere safe to go.

For 57 years the Israeli military has occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Israel has also imposed a blockade on Gaza for the last 17 years. This has devastated Gaza’s economy, left most people unable to leave Gaza, restricted access to essential services such as healthcare, and cut Palestinians off from each other. Even before October 2023, almost 80% of people in Gaza already relied on aid to survive.

Military force cannot resolve this decades-long conflict. 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, the 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, and protect people’s rights.

The continuing bombardment, and restriction on goods entering Gaza, has made a full-scale humanitarian response extremely difficult. Despite huge obstacles, Oxfam staff and partners have been responding as best they can to deliver food, clean water and sanitation, hygiene kits, and more.

Donate to our Gaza-Lebanon appeal now

• An immediate and permanent ceasefire
• An end to the total siege, and full access for humanitarian aid
• The protection of all civilians, including the release of all hostages
• The UK must stop all 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 political and economic tools at their disposal to help secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire. This is the only way to stop the death and destruction, and prevent the violence from spreading even further.

Allow full access to humanitarian aid

The Government of Israel must end the total siege of Gaza, and allow the full access of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, food, fuel, and water to reach everyone who needs it. According to International Humanitarian Law, as the occupying power, it must ensure the humane treatment of the population and provide for their basic needs.

Protect all civilians and release all hostages

All parties in any conflict must protect civilians during military action, and uphold International Humanitarian Law. This means releasing all remaining hostages held by Hamas, and unlawfully detained Palestinians in Israel. And protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza, such as hospitals and schools.

The UK must stop all arms sales to Israel

The UK continues to fuel the horrific attacks in Gaza and Lebanon by allowing arms sales to Israel, despite the clear risk that they are being used to commit war crimes.

The recently announced partial suspension of arms sales is not enough. The UK is still making and selling parts for F-35 fighter jets that have been dropping bombs on Gaza for months.

The government must stop ALL arms sales to Israel now. Not only will this end the UK’s complicity, but it would also send a powerful message that the UK is serious about securing an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

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.

A lasting and just peace

A ceasefire must also be a step towards a lasting and just peace for all Palestinians, Lebanese and Israelis. Everyone deserves to live in freedom, with dignity and self-determination.

• For more updates on the situation, visit the UN OCHA website.
• Stay informed with Oxfam's responses to the latest escalations in Gaza.
• Read our Gaza: 1 Year On report.
• Read about what is happening in Lebanon.
• Find out more ways you can help Gaza and Lebanon.