Sunday marks half a year since Hamas initiated a surprise terrorist assault in southern Israel, prompting Israel to declare war on Hamas. Israel launched a ground offensive in late October, imposing tighter restrictions on the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza and instructing civilians in the north to relocate to the south. Over the past 182 days, as Israel pursued its objective of dismantling Hamas, a significant humanitarian crisis has unfolded in Gaza, characterized by shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, as well as a breakdown of the healthcare system.
Killed and Injured
Since Hamas' unexpected terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the death toll on both sides has steadily risen. In Israel, at least 1,700 individuals have been killed and 8,700 others injured, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The fatalities include over 800 civilians, around 600 IDF soldiers, and 61 police officers. In Gaza, more than 33,000 people have been killed and about 76,000 others injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. The majority of those killed have been women and children, as per Hamas.
Hostages
During Hamas' raid on Israel on October 7, over 240 hostages were abducted and taken into Gaza. To date, 112 surviving hostages have been released. The largest hostage release occurred on November 24 during a ceasefire, with 105 individuals released, including 81 Israelis or dual Israeli citizens, 23 Thai citizens, and one citizen of the Philippines. The bodies of 12 deceased hostages have also been retrieved. Currently, an estimated 131 hostages remain in Gaza, including 33 deceased individuals, according to Israeli officials. There are at least eight dual U.S. citizens still being held hostage and three dual citizens among the deceased, officials reported.
Collapse of the Healthcare System
Before the conflict, 36 hospitals were operational in Gaza. As of April 2, 26 hospitals have ceased operations, and the remaining 10 are partially operational, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) office in the occupied Palestinian territory. There are currently no fully operational hospitals, WHO reported. "Left without vital healthcare, ultimately it's civilians who will pay the price," the WHO office stated. "We repeat: health must not be militarized or attacked." Israel has alleged that Hamas uses hospitals to "conduct and promote" terrorist activities. Hamas has denied operating from within hospitals.
Aid Delivery Challenges
Since early March, an average of 140 trucks carrying food aid have entered Gaza daily, according to Israel's Civil Department of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). Northern Gaza receives an average of 10 food trucks per day. In an effort to meet the needs of Gazans, several countries, including the U.S., have airdropped food into the strip, totaling more than 166,000 meals since March 5.
The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has previously stated that Israel does not provide sufficient authorization to deliver adequate aid and, even when authorization is granted, the fighting makes aid delivery challenging. The group says it has not been permitted to distribute aid in northern Gaza since Israel alleged that some of its members participated in the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel. UNRWA stated that it terminated the accused employees after the allegations were made public, and an independent investigation by the U.N.’s Office of Internal Oversight is ongoing.
Israeli officials have claimed that Hamas steals aid once it enters Gaza and that looting is also a problem. Israel denies all accusations that it restricts aid entry into Gaza and encourages other countries to send aid. Israeli officials claim that the U.N., its partners, and other aid agencies have created logistical challenges, resulting in a bottleneck. The U.N. disputes these claims. A March report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative warned that famine is "imminent" in northern Gaza and may occur between mid-March and the end of May.
On April 1, seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen were killed during an Israeli attack in central Gaza while traveling in a three-vehicle caravan, sparking international outrage, including from the U.S., and increasing pressure on Israel to protect aid workers and facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid.
On April 4, Israel approved the reopening of the Erez crossing into Gaza in the north and the temporary use of Ashdod port in southern Israel after the U.S. urged the country to increase the humanitarian aid getting into Gaza.