Military and Diplomatic Highlights:
· The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they have killed additional terrorist leaders:
o On August 28th, Faris Qasim with the Islamic Jihad’s Operations Division, was killed near the Syrian/Lebanese border.
o Khalil Hussein Khalil Al-Maqdah who was affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards was killed on August 21st.
· On August 26th Hezbollah launched 230 rockets and 20 explosive drones against targets in Northern Israel:
o In response 100 Israeli Air Force jets preemptively struck 270 targets in Lebanon.
· Six Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza between August 23-26.
· On August 18th, three United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers were injured when an explosion occurred near their clearly marked UN vehicle in the vicinity of Yarine (south Lebanon). All the peacekeepers in the patrol returned safely to their base.
· The UN Security Council on August 28th renewed the mandate of UNIFIL for another year and called for the full implementation of Resolution 1701.
Civil Protection and Humanitarian Assistance Highlights:
Israel
· On August 21st Magen David Adom (MDA) treated and transported a 30-year-old who was struck by shrapnel from a rocket attack in Northern Israel.
Lebanon
· UNFIL since October 2023 has provided medical care to over 4,700 people in Southern Lebanon.
Gaza Strip
· The IDF granting of access to humanitarian and rescue services in Gaza remains constrained:
o The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on August 24th that it took three days for access to granted by the IDF to rescue a family trapped under the rubble of a building in Hamad city.
o By the time access was granted it became a recovery mission.
· There are at least 1.9 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs):
o As of August 25th, up to 88.5% of Gaza’s population have been placed under evacuation orders since October 7, 2023:
o The population is increasingly forced to concentrate within the Israeli-designated zone in Al Mawasi, which spans to only about 41 square kilometer or roughly 11% of Gaza’s total area:
ü This area lacks critical infrastructure and basic services, while aid provision is limited due to access and security issues.
ü The severe overcrowding, with a density of 30,000 to 34,000 individuals per square kilometer has exacerbated the dire shortage of essential resources such as water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, health services, protection and shelter.
· Between August 23-25, the IDF issued three new evacuation orders affecting over 19 neighborhoods in Northen Gaza and in Deir al Balah:
o Initial mapping indicated that over 8,000 people were staying in the areas designated for evacuation, many in 13 IDP sites.
o The evacuation orders in Deir al Balah also displaced humanitarian staff from various UN agencies, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and service providers, along with their families, which severely hindered their ability to deliver essential support and services.
o Specifically, the order issued on August 25th impacted 15 UN and NGO premises, as well as four UN warehouses.
· Healthcare and Public Health Updates:
o The World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting that only 16 out of 36 hospitals (44%) are partially functional and 58 out of the 132 (44%) primary health care facilities are functional as of August 20th.
o UNRWA remains a major actor in the health sector, providing health services across 10 primary health centers and up to 100 medical points across the Gaza Strip.
o On August 21st, the Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals in northern Gaza renewed appeals for the urgent provision of diesel to keep electricity generators functional.
o The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on August 26th opened four temporary health clinics in the south and middle areas of Gaza.
o As of August 23rd, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has established 27 medical points and emergency clinics.
o The PRCS reported that as of August 21st, only two of their eight ambulances in Gaza City are operational.
o With the support of the World Bank, WHO has delivered the following resources:
ü As of August 26th, hospitals in north and south Gaza have been provided a range of critical medical supplies, including anesthesia and analgesic drugs to cover the needs of about 44,500 patients.
ü 200 Intensive Care Beds have been delivered to support at least five health facilities in expanding bed capacity.
ü WHO has procured with the support of the World Bank has procured $410,000 worth of critical infection prevention and control supplies, including chlorine tablets, hygiene products, and gloves as of August 23rd. These supplies have already been delivered to five hospitals.
ü 20 portable toilets have been delivered to four health facilities to improve sanitation conditions.
o The PRCS in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross, distributed around 500 portable toilets to several IDP gathering places in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis on August 25th.
o WHO on August 23rd, confirmed the first confirmed polo case:
ü The patient is a 10-month-old child who has developed paralysis in the lower left leg.
ü Th UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on August 25th announced that 1.2 million doses of the Polio Vaccine Type 2 (nOPV2) were being brought to Gaza to immunize over 640,000 children.
ü WHO in preparation for the polo vaccination campaign is training 2,180 health workers.
ü On August 27th, PRCS received vaccine refrigerators from UNICEF.
ü The vaccination campaign is scheduled to begin on August 31st and continue for seven days.
ü WHO considers there to be a high risk of spread of this strain within Gaza, and internationally, particularly given the impact the current situation continues to have on public health services.
· As of August 26th, due to ongoing military operations in Deir Al-Balah, only three out of 18 water wells there are still functioning, resulting in an 85% water shortfall.
· The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) reported the following:
o On August 21st, the first batch of 25 satellite-based tracking devices was delivered to the World Food Programme (WFP) office in Jerusalem upon securing clearance at the Tel Aviv airport.
o The ETC is working with the OCHA and other stakeholders to secure the Access Support Unit clearance to transport these devices into Gaza with the next Special United Nations Official mission.
o On August 20th, the ETC collaborated with UNRWA and the WFP to establish internet connectivity at the Skaik Building in Gaza City, ETC is planning to provide internet connectivity at this hub.
o The ETC on August 19th, handed over one of the four solar-powered solution kits to UNRWA to support the humanitarian operations of UN agencies in Khan Yunis.
Violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Highlights:
· The IDF retrieved the bodies of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perry on August 20th.
· On August 27th, the Israeli forces rescued Qaid Farhan Alkadi (52 years old) from Rahat. He was abducted by Hamas on October 7th. He is currently in stable condition.
· The IDF reported that they recovered the remains of an IDF soldier who was also abducted on October 7th.
· The UNRWA as of August 26th reports that 212 employees have been killed.
· As of August 20th, WHO has recorded 505 health attacks in Gaza, which had resulted in 752 people killed, 982 injured, and 32 hospitals and 63 ambulances damaged.
· On August 21st, the PRCS documented the IDF firing at their teams as they attempted to retrieve the injured from the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis . The PRCS teams were forced to withdraw from the area without being able to evacuate the injured.
· The PRCS reported on August 24th the second floor of the Al-Amal Hospital's Rehabilitation Department was directly fired upon by IDF drones. Fortunately, no one was injured.
· On August 28th, PRCS reported that the IDF stormed their medical point at the Al-Far’a refugee camp. The IDF detained the teams and cut off all communication with them. IDF later withdrew but fired shots inside the medical point.
· On August 28th, the WFP announced that it is pausing the movement of its employees in Gaza until further notice after a WFP team came under fire on August 27th a few meters from a IDF check point at the Wadi Gaza bridge:
o The WFP team was returning from a mission to Kerem Shalom/ Karam Abu Salem with two armored vehicles after escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian cargo routed to Gaza’s central area.
o Despite being clearly marked and receiving multiple clearances by Israeli authorities to approach, the vehicle was directly struck by gunfire as it was moving towards the checkpoint.
o None of the employees onboard were physically harmed.
o The WFP Executive Director has stated that this is totally unacceptable and must change immediately. The WFP has repeatedly asked for a functioning deconfliction system in Gaza, and yet the current arrangements have failed.
Sources:
· Humanitarian Situation Update #209 | Gaza Strip
· Palestine - Conflict ETC Situation Report #42 (Reporting period: 13/08/2024 to 27/08/2024)
· WFP temporarily suspend staff movement across Gaza following a security incident that targeted WFP vehicle
· UNRWA Situation Report #131 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All information from 22-26 August 2024, valid as of 26 August 2024 at 22:30 (local time)
· Israeli Defense Forces Twitter Page
· Magen David Adom Twitter Page
· Palestine Red Crescent Society Twitter Page
· OCHA Occupied Territories Twitter Page
· WHO Occupied Territories Twitter Page
· UN Agency for Palestine Refugees Twitter Page
· United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Twitter Page
Resources
FAO, On the ground in Gaza Website
ADL, We Stand with Israel Website
Monetary Donations:
Before you donate please review the organization’s track record by using CharityWatch and Charity Navigator.
· UN Crisis Relief, Occupied Palestinian Territories
· IsraAID
· WHO Foundation, Gaza Crisis: Help Save Lives
· UN Migration Agency, Gaza
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