Around 1 in every 25 Palestinians in Gaza are now injured or dead, Islamic Relief says as Israel’s bombardment continues unabated.

The latest figures show around 89,000 casualties with more than 25,000 people killed and over 63,000 people injured – with many suffering life-changing injuries such as loss of limbs. Most of the casualties are civilians, including many young children. The figures may be even higher as many bodies are still unaccounted for under the rubble.

Many of the injured are being denied acceptable healthcare, with fewer than half of Gaza’s hospitals now even partially functioning. There are reports of doctors having to amputate children’s arms and legs without anaesthetic because of the critical shortage of drugs and medical supplies. Other people have reportedly bled to death in the streets as they were unable to get treatment.

The combination of heavy bombing, disease and hunger means that the death toll will keep rising unless world leaders act to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to Israel’s siege.

Hundreds of thousands more people are facing starvation, as local means of food production have been destroyed and nowhere near enough food is being allowed into Gaza. Aid workers are reporting desperate children forced to eat leaves or scraps they find in the street.

With 1.7 million people displaced from their homes – most of them now crammed into tiny parts of southern Gaza – the shelters are becoming death traps where disease is quickly spreading. The severely overcrowded conditions and lack of safe water means that cases of diseases such as jaundice, Hepatitis A and diarrhoea have rocketed, especially among young children. The UN has recorded almost a quarter of a million cases of acute respiratory infections, now affecting one in 10 people across Gaza.

Despite this humanitarian catastrophe the amount of aid getting into Gaza has actually decreased again in recent days, with Israel continuing to enforce restrictions on what is and isn’t allowed in. Most supplies to people in northern Gaza are prevented from being delivered. Around 500 trucks every day used to enter Gaza even before the latest destruction – now the needs are vastly greater, but in January only around 100 trucks a day have been entering and the latest daily total fell to just 66 trucks.

Islamic Relief is delivering daily ready-to-eat meals to people in the shelters and has so far distributed more than 1 million meals, as well as other aid such as hygiene kits and psychosocial support for children – but the enormity of the crisis means that much more is needed.

GAZA, 17 Januari 2024 – Angka korban di Gaza terus meningkat kepada 24,285 orang, manakala 61,154 lagi cedera.

Jumlah itu antaranya membabitkan 10,440 kanak-kanak, 118 wartawan, 337 petugas perubatan dan 45 kakitangan unit pertahanan awam Gaza.

Lebih 7,000 penduduk dilaporkan hilang, dan 70 peratus daripadanya dari kalangan kanak-kanak serta wanita.

Menurut Agensi Kerja dan Bantuan Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA), serangan udara yang dilancarkan ke atas Gaza selama lebih 100 hari ini telah mengakibatkan pengusiran terhadap penduduk Palestin yang terbesar sejak 1948.

Menurut media Gaza pula, sepanjang tempoh ini juga, lebih 1,500 kubur penduduk yang terkorban digali semula dan lebih 150 mayat telah dicuri.

Islamic Relief terus proaktif menyalurkan bantuan sejak serangan mula dilancarkan 7 Oktober tahun lalu sehingga kini, melibatkan agihan bantuan makanan, ubat-ubatan, sayur-sayuran, air, kit kebersihan, penajaan anak yatim dan aktiviti psikososial.

Berikan sokongan kepada Islamic Relief untuk menghulurkan bantuan kepada penduduk terjejas di Palestin. Jom menyumbang ke tabung Rayuan Palestin sekarang.

As the official death toll in Gaza passes 20,000, Islamic Relief is warning that the actual toll is likely to be even higher – as thousands of people are still missing and buried under the rubble and young children are increasingly suffering severe hunger and disease.  

To see 20,000 people killed in such a short space of time is a stain on the world’s conscience. The thousands of people killed are not just statistics – they are humanitarian workers, doctors, nurses, teachers, journalists, farmers, shopkeepers, artists, labourers and all sectors of Palestinian society. The vast majority of those killed and injured are civilians, with 40% of them children. Relatives of Islamic Relief staff have also been killed in their homes or as they fled on Israeli orders. 

As a humanitarian organisation Islamic Relief responds to horrific wars and crises all over the world, but we have rarely if ever witnessed killing and destruction at this speed and scale. International law is being wilfully ignored on a daily basis. With the death toll still rising every hour, the UN Security Council must demand an immediate ceasefire. Every further day of delay costs many more lives. Only an immediate and lasting ceasefire can protect civilians and begin to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation.  

More than 10 weeks of relentless Israeli assault has flattened much of Gaza and left civilians desperately searching for food, water, medicine and fuel. Most people are now going whole days without food and most civilians are now suffering severe hunger. Hundreds of thousands of people are crammed into makeshift shelters, and heavy rain and falling temperatures are making conditions even worse as tents have been flooded and children are rapidly becoming sick.   

Despite a small number of aid trucks now entering through Kerem Shalom as well as Rafah, the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza is still a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed. With markets now almost empty, Israel continues to ban commercial trucks from entering. Humanitarian aid alone will not be anywhere near enough to address this crisis and it is essential that crossings are reopened to commercial supplies as well.  

As well as the 20,000 or more killed, over 52,000 people have also been wounded – with many suffering life-changing injuries such as loss of limbs.  

Intense Israeli bombardments and ground attacks are continuing despite mounting global pressure for a ceasefire. In the past few days more hospitals have been besieged and homes, refugee camps and school shelters have been bombed. Telecommunications and internet continue to be cut off in much of Gaza for days at a time, restricting information and making aid delivery even more difficult. There are widespread reports of civilians being detained and abused.  

Places of worship have come under unprecedented attack, with at least 112 mosques and three churches now damaged by bombing – including many that are sheltering families who have been forced from their homes.  

The scale of destruction is staggering with at least 60% of homes and 69% of schools now reportedly damaged or destroyed, and almost 80% of hospitals no longer able to function. The need for a permanent humanitarian ceasefire is greater than ever.