UNRWA Situation Report #1 on the Situation in the Gaza Strip

• At 06:30 on the morning of 7 October 2023, Hamas launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” with more than 5,000 rockets reportedly fired towards Israel from multiple locations in Gaza, as well as ground operation into Israel.
• In response to this attack, Israeli authorities declared that the country is in a state of war and called up military reservists. At 12:00 noon, the Israeli Forces launched operation ‘Iron Sword’ with strikes on the Gaza strip by air, land and sea.
• As of 21:00, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported 232 killed and 1,697 injuries. Two boys, both UNRWA students at UNRWA schools in Khan Younis and Beit Hanoun, are confirmed to be among those killed.
• According to different sources, between 150-200 Israelis have been reportedly killed.
• By 18:00, at least 20,363 Internally Displaced People were sheltering in 44 UNRWA schools in all areas in the Gaza Strip, except Khan Younis. Of those, 28 are Designated Emergency Shelters and 16 are not.
• Three UNRWA schools were affected by collateral damages caused by Israeli Armed Forces (IAF) airstrikes.

​​Health services provision

• All UNRWA 22 Health Centres are closed.
• Emergency health-care services are available exclusively through the toll-free hotline (1-800-444-666).
• Primary health-care services are planned to resume with a limited number of staff as of tomorrow, 8 October.

Sanitation services provision 

• All solid waste collection and transfer to landfills put on hold.
• The operation of water wells was stopped around 09:30am on 7 October.
• Water wells operations are planned to resume tomorrow in Jabalia, Khan Younis and Rafah.

Relief and Social Services 

• UNRWA food distribution is on hold as of today until further notice, disrupting the third food distribution cycle.  All 14 UNRWA Food Distribution Centres are closed. A total of 112,759 families (541,640 individuals) are yet to receive food assistance.
• UNRWA Relief and Social Services Helplines will be operational as of tomorrow, Sunday 8 October.

​General UNRWA operations 

• All staff movement is restricted.
• Food and non-food items are prepositioned in the sub-stores across the five areas in Gaza and the main warehouses.
• Information to be shared with communities on UNRWA services. Social media content put out already on the emergency health-care services through the toll-free hotline.

UNRWA Installations 

• Shrapnel was found in one school in Jabalia camp in the northern area.
• Two schools, one in Jabalia camp (northern area) and one in the city of Gaza, were affected by collateral damage due to Israeli Air Force airstrikes.