Emergency Manager's Weekly Report

Oct 19, 20235 min read

Hamas attack on Israel Situation Report #6

Military and Diplomatic Highlights:

· Hamas continues to fire rockets into Southern and Central Israel.

· The Israel Defense Force (IDF) has identified Mohammed Deif as the mastermind behind the October 7th attack.

· As of October 18th, IDF reported the following activities:

o Nine rocket launches crossed from Lebanon into Israel and four were intercepted by the IDF.

o Several anti-tank missiles were also fired from Lebanon toward Israel.

o In response to these recent attacks from Lebanon, IDF targeted a terrorist cell by using a drone and targeted via tanks Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure.

· On October 11th, Hamas cyber actors launched low-level cyberattacks:

o On an Israeli Beit Rivkah School zoom class, the teacher disappeared from the screen and was replaced by a man holding an automatic rifle and wearing military-style attire.

· The United States of America reported the following actions taken to support Israel:

o The U.S. Air Force delivered a shipment of armored jeeps to replace vehicles damaged in the war.

o The U.S. has imposed economic sanctions on 10 key Hamas members, financial operatives and facilitators.

o The U.S. State Department has issued a Worldwide Travel Caution due to the increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.

Civil Protection and Humanitarian Assistance Highlights:

Israel

· Over 1,300 people were killed by Hamas, hundreds of bodies though were mutilated preventing the positive identification of these victims.

· The Magen David Adom as of October 19th treating three people with blast injures.

· Home Front Command continues to provide life-saving directions to civilians through various means.

· World Central Kitchen (WCK) Activities:

o Working with volunteers and local partners like Tel-Ya to cook and pack lunch and dinner for families who have evacuated from the border communities.

o WCK is also distributing meals in three cities where people are staying in temporary housing.

Occupied Palestinian Territories

· IDF continues to call for civilians to evacuate Gaza City to the southern portion of the Gaza Strip. Al-Mawasi is where international relief supplies will be provided as needed.

· The number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Gaza is estimated to be about one million. Over 353,000 people are staying in UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) schools in central and southern Gaza alone.

· The Rafah Crossing remains closed, preventing the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid, including food, water and medicines awaiting on the Egyptian side. The Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings with Israel also remain closed.

· The United States is providing $100 million in humanitarian assistance and it will be used to provide safe drinking water, food, shelter, hygiene support, and healthcare services. This funding will also provide psychosocial support and additional humanitarian protection services.

· Healthcare and Public Health Update:

o The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that restrictions of entry of water, fuel and medical supplies combined with high numbers of casualties and fatalities have brought the health system in Gaza to the brink of collapse.

o WHOs warehouse in Gaza is completely empty.

o WHO though purchased in Gaza and delivered anesthesia and other critical medicines to support 50 surgeries and lifesaving treatment for 500 people.

o WHO supplies in Al-Arish, Egypt, have been loaded onto trucks for the anticipated opening of the Rafah crossing into Gaza. WHO continues to call for immediate access into Gaza through Egypt.

· Food Security:

o The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that shops showed a continuous decrease in the quantities and an increase in the prices of main food commodities such as wheat flour, eggs, and vegetables:

ü Most shops have food stocks for less than one week and movement restrictions and fuel shortages are compromising shops’ ability to replenish their stocks.

ü The Gaza Strip’s estimated overall stocks of key food items are sufficient to cover the following durations: 27 days for wheat flour, 23 days for sugar, 18 days for pulses, 16 days for rice, and 10 days for vegetable oil.

ü Four WFP contracted shops have been damaged and 17 are closed due to the conflict.

ü Most bakeries are operational and have remained open despite safety concerns but face occasional closures due to energy disruptions. However only one out of the five mills are functioning.

o World Central Kitchen through American Near East Refugee Aid is providing thousands of food kits and warm meals daily to people in Gaza. They are also supporting UNRWA shelters in southern Gaza and providing food kits to a school in the north where families are sheltering.

Violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL):

· WHO reports that between October 7-17 there have been 136 attacks on healthcare (59 in Gaza Strip and 77 in the West Bank.

· The number of patients, healthcare staff and IDPs that were killed at the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab/Baptist hospital in Gaza City stands at 471 people.

· Attacks on UNRWA Personnel and Facilities:

o At least 14 UNRWA personnel have been killed and nine staff have been injured. The actual number is likely to be much higher.

o On October 17th, UNRWA reported that their school at the Al Maghazi refugee camp in Central Gaza which is sheltering 4,000 IDPs was attacked and eight people were killed and 40 injured.

o At least 32 UNRWA facilities have been attacked by Israeli military forces.

· The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that Israeli bombardments are taking place near the Al Quds Hospital. This hospital as well as caring for patients is sheltering more than 8,000 IDPs.

· The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that as of October 19th, 21 journalists have been killed in Palestine, Israel, and Lebanon, three are reported as missing or detained and eight have been injured.

Dis-Information Highlights:

· Russian State Media (RT) falsely claimed that an Israeli government spokesperson took responsibility for the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab/Baptist hospital.

· Use of U.S. weapons used by Hamas:

o Photos and videos on social media displaying missiles, drones and assault weapons being used against Israel have led some U.S. congressional Republicans and social media users to claim that U.S. weapons are now in Hamas’ hands. They claim that these weapons were meant for Ukraine or left behind by U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

o PolitFacts found no public confirmation that Hamas used U.S. weapons in the October 7th attacks. However, experts told PolitiFact it is not inconceivable for Hamas to have U.S. weapons.

Sources:

· WFP Palestine: Gaza Market Monitoring - Flash Update #2 (October 2023)

· Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #12

· Health Attacks in the oPt (7-17 October 2023)

· Israel Ministry of Defense Twitter Page

· Israeli Defense Forces Twitter Page

· Israel Home Front Command Twitter Page

· Magen David Adom Twitter Page

· World Central Kitchen Twitter Page

· WHO in occupied Palestinian territory Twitter Page

· Palestine Red Crescent Society Twitter Page

· U.S. Department of State Twitter Page