Highlights
During the month of April, the situation remained tense across the State of Palestine, with cases of violence resulting in the injury of 20 Israelis including 2 children, and 70 Palestinians including 24 children.
Israeli authorities demolished seven structures, due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, in different locations. As a result, 191 Palestinians, including 108 children, were affected.
In March, 6,760 students (57% boys) from Grades 5 and 6 in Gaza benefitted from remedial classes in Arabic language and Mathematics.
In April, UNICEF-supported Family Centers provided psychosocial support to 59 children, including group and individual counseling. Additionally, 672 children in Gaza (40% girls) received child protection services including through case management and child/parent interaction programs.
In Gaza, 495 households (approximately 2,970 individuals) had access to improved sanitation services and systems; and 281 households (approximately 1,686 individuals) were connected to upgraded water networks.
In partnership with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF supported the procurement and distribution of essential pediatric and neonate life-saving drugs and medical consumables, benefitting 21,900 mothers and children.
Situation Overview
During April 2016, the situation remained tense across the State of Palestine, with several cases of violence against individuals and communities, including children, across the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. Attacks against Palestinians also took place during public demonstrations.
On 18 April, 20 Israelis, including two children, were injured following an explosion in an Israeli public transportation bus in East Jerusalem. On the same day, the Israeli army announced that it had discovered a tunnel running under Gaza into Israel. Following this development the Israeli authorities extended the prohibition of the entry of cement into Gaza for the private sector. This decision is expected to impact on the reconstruction and repair of homes destroyed during the 2014 war, prolonging the precarious living conditions of 75,000 displaced people.
Overall, 70 Palestinians, including 24 children, were injured across the State of Palestine during clashes with Israeli forces. Most of these clashes erupted during protests in the Salfit governorate. A nine-year-old child was also injured during a search and arrest operation in Jit village (Qalqiliya). Israeli forces lifted the ban, which was imposed on 22 March, on the entry of Palestinian males between 15 and 25-years-old through two checkpoints controlling access to the H2 area of Hebron city. The Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing was closed in both directions during the reporting period. The crossing has been closed, including for humanitarian assistance, since 24 October 2014, except for 42 days of partial openings. Authorities in Gaza indicated that around 30,000 people with urgent needs, including around 3,500 medical cases, are registered to cross.
Israeli authorities demolished seven structures, due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits. These include three residential houses under construction in Al Walaja village (Bethlehem); two livelihood structures in Barta’a ash Sharqiya (Jenin); a donor-funded park in Za’tara (Nablus), and a retaining wall near Al Arrub Refugee Camp (Hebron). As a result, 191 Palestinians, including 108 children, were affected.
In the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities delivered at least 30 stop work and demolition orders. If these are executed, more than 1,000 Palestinians, residing in approximately 90 houses, will lose their homes. Palestinian residents of Silwan suffer from overcrowding, inadequate services, and threat of demolition and displacement due to unauthorized construction.