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| Section The ICRC in Israel and the occupied territories
©ICRC/T. Domaniczky/il-e-01672
Jabaliya, Gaza. A family in the ruins of their house, destroyed during the January 2009 Israel's military operation.
On 27 December 2008 Israel launched a military operation in Gaza that lasted three weeks. From the start of the offensive, the ICRC responded to the most pressing humanitarian needs, helping evacuate wounded people and distributing relief goods. Permanently present in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory for over 40 years, the ICRC provides medical and surgical supplies and equipment to public hospitals, notably in Gaza, to continue offering life-saving treatment to the wounded and sick. Its technical and material assistance in post-surgical rehabilitation and physiotherapy helps to address the needs of amputees in the territory. The organization rehabilitates hospital infrastructure and water systems in Gaza, and improves water supply in poorly served West Bank communities. In the occupied West Bank, ICRC delegates monitor the situation of Palestinians affected by, among other things, mobility restrictions, Israeli settlements and the routing of the security barrier. The organization takes up these matters – for example greater access for farmers to their land – with the Israeli authorities when necessary. It distributes food and household items to Palestinians worst-hit by the occupation and helps them carry out income-generating projects. In the occupied Golan, the ICRC concentrates on re-establishing and maintaining family links between Golan residents and their families living on the other side of the demarcation line. The ICRC visits detainees held by Israel and by Palestinian authorities to monitor their conditions and the manner in which they are treated. It enables detainees to exchange family news and receive family visits. On average West Bank Palestinians make 13,000 family visits per month to relatives detained in Israeli prisons. However, families in Gaza have been prevented since 2007 by Israel from making such visits. In both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory the ICRC endeavours to raise awareness generally of international humanitarian law and the obligation to respect it. The ICRC works in close cooperation with the Israeli Magen David Adom and the Palestine Red Crescent to help civilian victims of the conflict. Personnel (2009): 368 staff, including 81 expatriates
 Key document3-11-2009 Israel and the occupied territories: helping people improve their livesThe ICRC continues to help those who are most vulnerable by supporting health facilities, repairing water systems and launching community projects. This is an update on these and other ICRC activities carried out in Israel and the occupied territories from July to September 2009. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Israel) Operational update Includes Photo 29-6-2009 Gaza: 1.5 million people trapped in despairSix months after Israel launched its three-week military operation in Gaza on 27 December 2008, Gazans still cannot rebuild their lives. Most people struggle to make ends meet. Seriously ill patients face difficulty obtaining the treatment they need. Many children suffer from deep psychological problems. Civilians whose homes and belongings were destroyed during the conflict are unable to recover. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Report Includes Photo 18-6-2009 Gaza: ICRC urges Hamas to allow captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit regular contact with his familyThe ICRC reiterated its demand that Gilad Shalit be allowed regular contact with his family. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) News release Feature22-9-2009 Caring for civilians caught up in war – the story of an ambulanceman in Sderot Avraham is an ambulanceman with the Magen David Adom in Sderot, an Israeli town near the Gaza Strip. He sometimes transports seriously ill Palestinians to hospital who cannot obtain the necessary treatment in Gaza. He believes that hoping is not enough; he says you have to act, because that is what gives life meaning. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Feature Includes Photo 22-9-2009 Caring for civilians caught up in war – the story of an ambulanceman in Gaza Ashraf is an ambulanceman with the Palestine Red Crescent in Rafah, Gaza. He counts himself lucky to be able to help people and save lives, and is proud of what he does. But being an ambulanceman in Gaza is a risky job. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Feature Includes Photo 17-11-2008 Life in Hebron: harassment and increasing poverty A Palestinian mother of six talks about her daily life in Hebron as she struggles to make ends meet in the midst of road closures and settler violence. She is one of thousands of vulnerable people receiving monthly food supplies from the ICRC. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Feature Includes Photo 8-9-2008 Occupied Golan: crossing point opened for pilgrimsIn the first of a series of journeys due to take place over the coming month, 400 Druze pilgrims living in the Israeli-occupied Golan have crossed into Syria proper with the help of the ICRC. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Israel) Feature Includes Photo 26-5-2008 Israel/Gaza: 23 years' solitary for a detainee's wifeTahani is one of hundreds of Palestinian wives whose husbands are held in Israeli prisons. For the past 23 years, she has had to raise their six children alone. In June 2007, the Israeli authorities suspended all family visits; she is desperate to see him once again. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Israel) Feature ICRC film8-6-2009 Gaza: paying the priceCivilians are counting the cost of the 3 week conflict in January 2009, which claimed more than a thousand lives and dealt a heavy blow to the economy of Gaza, a territory already shattered by decades of conflict and deprivation. The international community pledged billions of dollars in aid, but restrictions on essential raw materials going into Gaza will have to be lifted if Palestinians are to rebuild their lives. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\From the field) ICRC film Includes Video 27-4-2007 West Bank: behind the barrierSince construction started on the West Bank Barrier, what has been the impact of the Israeli occupation on the lives of ordinary Palestinians? Families from Salfit and Hebron talk about the trauma of living with military operations, being denied access to their land and facing constant restrictions on every aspect of life. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\From the field) ICRC film Includes Video Interview8-6-2009 West Bank: illegal settlements cause hardship for PalestiniansSettler violence and severe restrictions on movement are affecting the daily lives of Palestinians in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, especially in the old town of Hebron. Matteo Benatti has been head of the ICRC's office in Hebron since September 2007. He explains the situation. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Interview Includes Photo 27-1-2009 Gaza: from Qatar with a mission Shifa Hospital in Gaza City receives most of the critically injured patients from other Gaza hospitals. Said Abu Hasna and Samir Kazkaz are Qatari Red Crescent doctors returning from an ICRC mission at the hospital. Said discusses their experiences. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Interview Includes Photo 17-1-2009 Phosphorous weapons – the ICRC's view Peter Herby, head of the ICRC's Arms Unit, outlines the rules applicable to phosphorous weapons to explain the organization's approach to the issue. (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Conventional weapons) Interview 11-1-2009 Gaza: the challenge of reaching civilians in needAudio interviews with Antoine Grand, the head of the ICRC's sub-delegation in Gaza and Said Shaath, a Palestinian ICRC employee. (Info resources\Audio\Middle East and North Africa) Interview Includes Audio 28-12-2008 Gaza medical services struggle to cope with influx of woundedThe International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is gravely concerned about the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip, following a series of air strikes by the Israel Defense Forces. In Israel, civilians have come under attack from rockets launched from Gaza that have killed at least one Israeli and wounded several others. Hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed by the influx of wounded and the ICRC has called on all sides to the hostilities to respect international humanitarian law. One of the ICRC's health delegates in Gaza, Marianne Whittington, describes the situation. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Interview Includes Photo 10-12-2008 Gaza: still no ICRC access to Gilad ShalitIt has been almost 900 days since the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, was captured by Palestinian armed factions from Gaza. To date, the ICRC's attempts to visit him and to establish contact between him and his family have been unsuccessful. Pierre Wettach, the ICRC's head of delegation in Israel and the occupied territories, explains. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Israel) Interview Includes Photo 19-11-2008 Gaza: responding to urgent medical needs of choked-off StripAs a result of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip since 5 November, medical facilities are once more running out of essential supplies. This has dire consequences for the health of the Palestinian population. Katharina Ritz, the ICRC's head of mission for the occupied Palestinian territories, talks about the humanitarian situation and the organization's efforts to respond to the most urgent needs. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Interview Includes Photo Operational update29-10-2009 Occupied Golan: ICRC helps Syrian Arabs maintain links with families elsewhere in SyriaOn 24 September 2009, about 560 Druze pilgrims were allowed to cross from the occupied Golan into Syria proper through the Kuneitra crossing. Since there are no diplomatic relations between Syria and Israel, the ICRC acted as a neutral intermediary between the two countries to facilitate the pilgrimage. The ICRC’s work in the Golan focuses on re-establishing and maintaining family links between the Syrian Arab residents of the occupied Golan and their relatives on the other side of the demarcation line. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Israel) Operational update Includes Photo 29-7-2009 ICRC activities in Israel, the occupied and autonomous territories:
April-June 2009Civilians bear the brunt of mobility restrictions, Israeli settlements and the routing of the security barrier in the West Bank and Gaza, and of rocket attacks in southern Israel. The ICRC assists those most affected by the restrictions, supports health facilities and improves water supply in poorly served communities. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Israel) Operational update 26-2-2009 Gaza: the struggle to pick up the piecesMore than a month after the end of the war, people in the Gaza Strip are still struggling to rebuild their lives. Tens of thousands of people have had their houses partially or completely destroyed, while thousands remain without access to running water. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Operational update Includes Photo 3-2-2009 Gaza: people still struggling for clean water Getting clean and safe water to all families in Gaza is an ongoing challenge. As people start to rebuild their lives, emergency repairs of vital infrastructure are needed in order to restore services wherever possible. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Operational update 2-2-2009 The ICRC in Gaza: facts and figuresSince the latest fighting started on 27 December 2008, the ICRC has been providing vital emergency aid and services, often working with the PRCS. In Israel, the ICRC has been supporting the Israeli National Society, the Magen David Adom. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Operational update Includes Photo 30-1-2009 Gaza: a quest for something like normalityThe two-week-old ceasefire announced by the warring parties remains fragile. Since 28 January there have been, in addition to occasional exchanges of fire, incursions and air strikes by Israeli forces and rockets launched from Gaza into Israel. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Operational update Includes Photo 25-1-2009 Gaza: hope emerging despite urgent needs and uncertainty about futureJust over a week after a ceasefire took effect, life is very slowly returning to normal despite the immense destruction and grief caused by three weeks of conflict. Gaza residents whose property was damaged are trying to repair it with whatever means are available. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Operational update Includes Photo Photo Collection16-7-2009 Gaza: half a year on, and the suffering continues Israel launched a three-week military operation in Gaza in December 2008. Half a year on and the people of Gaza are still reeling from the effects of that attack. Homes remain destroyed, and access to public services, such as hospitals and water supply, limited. Most people in Gaza are feeling the impact of the strict Israeli closure which they have now endured for over two years. As the entire society becomes increasingly impoverished, some people are relying more on donkey carts and bicycles. (Info resources\Photos\Middle East and North Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo 6-4-2009 Gaza: the crisis continues without the prospect of lasting peace  Three months after Israel’s military operation, people in the Gaza Strip still struggle to exist. Tens of thousands have had their homes wrecked. Aid has been pledged, but without a courageous peace process, no meaningful reconstruction can take place. (Info resources\Photos\Middle East and North Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo 4-2-2009 Gaza: let the seeds grow Agriculture is a lifeline for a sizeable portion of Gaza's population. When the sector took a severe blow during the recent fighting, a lot of people were left struggling to cope with this fresh setback. Now, those who can are picking up the pieces, as the ICRC’s Iyad Nasr explains. (Info resources\Photos\Middle East and North Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo 6-10-2008 Occupied Golan: a happy event in a sad setting A wedding day is supposed to be a day of great happiness for the bride. But for Nihal Arin, it was bittersweet. (Info resources\Photos\Middle East and North Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo 21-7-2008 West Bank: the shrinking world of the Bedouins Drought, harsh climate and restrictions on movement have a devastating effect on Bedouins. In these photos, pastoralists ponder their future as they struggle to find pasture and water for their sheep. The ICRC provides emergency water supplies to the worst-hit areas. (Info resources\Photos\Middle East and North Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo 23-6-2003 Israelis and Palestinians: "Side by Side or Face to Face" 50 years of photography by Jean Mohr. An exhibition produced by the ICRC and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum (MICR). (Info resources\Photos\Middle East and North Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo Press article7-5-2009 Gaza: civilians in the firing lineOn top of a year and a half of restrictions came three weeks of intense fighting. For the people of Gaza, who bore the brunt of a conflict in which there are no winners, the road to normality and dignity is still a long one. Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 1, 2009. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Press article 21-1-2009 Red Cross and humanitarian life-saving actionArticle published in The Times, 21 January 2009. The humanitarian cost of this conflict and the civilian suffering need not have been so high. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Press article 16-1-2009 Harald Veen Fresed goes through hell as a doctor at Shifa Hospital in GazaArticle published in Le Monde on 16 January 2009. Harald Veen Fresed has just spent a week at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The Dutch physician, who specializes in abdominal surgery, is exhausted. He was sent to Gaza by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and finds it difficult to disguise his feelings after what he calls "a real tragedy". Although he is no stranger to war or distressing situations – especially African conflicts – he returned home profoundly disturbed by what he had seen. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Press article Press briefing14-1-2009 Press conference of the ICRC president in Jerusalem At a press conference in Jerusalem on 14 January, ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger shared his concerns following his visit to the Gaza Strip and to the Israeli town of Sderot. He demanded that the parties spare civilians and protect and care for the wounded. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Press briefing Includes Photo 6-1-2009 Gaza: plight of civilians traumatic in 'full-blown humanitarian crisis'Increasing numbers of civilians are dying or injured in the escalating crisis in Gaza. At a press conference in Geneva on 6 January, the ICRC's director of operations, Pierre Krähenbühl, described the situation of civilians in Gaza as intolerable, and called on the parties to the conflict to make it possible for the ICRC and the Palestine Red Crescent Society to reach people in need. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Press briefing Includes Photo Report13-12-2007 The occupied Palestinian territories: Dignity Denied Throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, in the Gaza Strip as well as the West Bank, Palestinians continuously face hardship in simply going about their lives; they are prevented from doing what makes up the daily fabric of most people's existence. An ICRC report. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Report Includes PDF, Photo Video Collection27-1-2009 Gaza in Ruins  Three weeks of intense conflict have taken a heavy toll on civilians. In Shijaiya, one of the poorest residential areas of Gaza City, families return to see the full extent of the damage. The ICRC and Palestine Red Crescent Society have started repair work on some of the Strip's shattered infrastructure, but it will take more than emergency aid for people in Gaza to recover from this latest crisis. (Info resources\Video) Video Collection Includes Video 15-1-2009 ICRC work round the clock in Shifa Hospital, Gaza City In Shifa Hospital, Gaza City, the main referral hospital in the Gaza strip, large numbers of severely injured patients are being treated round the clock. The ICRC medical staff at the hospital say that most of the casualties are civilians, many of them children. The shortage of intensive care beds for the most seriously injured puts lives further at risk. (Info resources\Video) Video Collection Includes Video Other siteOther site |
