2023-10-01 12:30:00
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works in Israel and the occupied territories – where it has had a permanent presence since 1967 – to alleviate the suffering of people affected by the armed conflict.
Below, we present an overview of the activities we carry out during the first half of 2023.
Preservation of dignity in detention contexts
Within the framework of our efforts to promote humane treatment and dignified conditions for detainees, we carry out 262 visits to Palestinian detainees in Israeli and Palestinian detention centers, including, 29 visits by health personnel to verify access to medical care in Israeli detention centers and health facilities. In addition, we contribute to the improvement of detention conditions for 11.539 people in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Maintaining contact between family members
We process permits for 29.165 relatives and facilitated the transfer for people who could visit their relatives in Israeli detention centers. We enable 4.580 detainees to see their loved ones through periodic visits. Likewise, we facilitate the exchange of 15 Red Cross messages and 545 salamat (verbal greetings) between detainees and family members separated by local and international borders. We act as neutral intermediaries between the relevant authorities in relation to various humanitarian crossings through the Quneitra and Rosh-Hanikra checkpoints.
Support for vulnerable communities
With the aim of addressing the humanitarian consequences of the occupation, we carry out the following activities:
In Gaza:
Financial assistance was provided to 20 fishing households to recondition their boats and restore their livelihoods. Grants were provided to 49 households of people with disabilities and people seriously injured by the fighting to help them start a business. 150 beehives were delivered resistant to climate change to 50 honey producers – that is, 3 hives for each – as part of an innovation project to address the effects of climate change. 1,800 ecological traps were distributed among 28 olive growers to mitigate the damage caused by the olive fly in the border areas of Gaza and in the northern governorates.
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem:
Emergency monetary support provided to 118 households whose homes were demolished. Cash assistance provided to 99 herders in areas affected by settlement expansion and settler violence to help them refurbish animal shelters and improve practices. breeding.Together with the Ministry of Agriculture in the West Bank, the chlamydia vaccine was applied to 50,000 animals to reduce fetal mortality.6,400 ecological traps were distributed among 645 olive growers to combat the effects of the olive fly in the area c.
Access to water and electricity
Access to essential services (water, electricity and wastewater) was improved for more than 927,000 residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under the Gaza Resilience Program – which aims to help communities and systems to absorb the disturbances derived from the armed conflict and promote a faster recovery—the following actions were carried out: The reliability and availability of the electricity supply was improved thanks to the installation of components of a smart grid and the improvement of control capabilities remote.The capacity of water and wastewater facilities was increased to continue functioning during armed hostilities, allowing access to essential water and sanitation services for 749,400 Gaza residents to remain uninterrupted.
Health care for sick and injured people
Caring for sick and injured people
During the armed hostilities that took place in May 2023, the Gaza Ministry of Health was provided with 1 gun casualty kit, with the capacity to treat up to 50 seriously injured people, along with 15 hospital beds, 30 stretchers and various surgical equipment. 3 x-ray equipment, 5 refrigerators for medical use, 21 sterilizers and several physiotherapy items were delivered to various primary health care centers that depend on the Ministry of Health. The Coordination and Liaison Office of the Ministry of Health of The Palestinian Authority in Gaza received 2,500 liters of fuel to power a small generator, along with stationery and office supplies to preserve the continuity of processing patients’ permit applications with the Israeli Civil Liaison Authority. 1 basic paramedic response training was provided to 17 emergency medical services personnel from the military medical services, the Ministry of Health and Civil Defence. The Ministry of Health, with the assistance of the ICRC, developed 10 policies for paramedics. emergency services.
Physical rehabilitation program
Supported 1,642 people with disabilities to receive physical rehabilitation services at a prosthetics and polio center in Gaza. Fifty-five children were assisted in a specialized clubfoot clinic at the prosthetics and polio center using the Ponseti method. center, the Palestinian Avenir Children’s Foundation and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society received assistive devices, wheelchairs, materials, orthopedic shoes and tools.Wheelchairs and other assistive devices were provided for 70 children with disabilities in the Palestine Avenir Foundation for Children. Social integration activities were carried out for 100 players, including 50 members of the soccer league for amputees and 50 children who participated in soccer training for amputees.
Consolidation in mental health and psychosocial support
For the second year, 15 military medical services personnel were awarded scholarships for postgraduate studies in mental health care and psychosocial support as part of the community mental health program and the Islamic University of Gaza. Assistance was provided in mental health and psychosocial support to 236 people with disabilities thanks to the technical support and supervision of the center for prosthetics and polio. The ICRC worked with the Bozour association for arts and culture to improve the psychological resilience of people with disabilities through theatrical activity. After 25 days, the first and second phases of this intervention were completed, training 48 people with disabilities. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the ICRC and the Israel Trauma Coalition for the ICRC to continue supporting the training activities in mental health and psychosocial support carried out by that organization in hospitals in southern Israel.
Cooperation with National Societies
Palestine Red Crescent Society
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance service successfully responded to 55,941 calls, evacuated 662 people who were effectively transferred to hospitals, and responded to field treatment in 4,269 cases during the clashes. Training was provided to support basic life support and advanced cardiovascular life support to 120 members of the emergency medical services to hone their response skills and knowledge. The ICRC facilitated the delivery of 11 pallets of medical and rehabilitation supplies and 10 ambulances to the Gaza of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
The Magen David Adom in Israel proper
In an effort to address the needs of vulnerable communities, Magen David Adom and the ICRC carried out various initiatives, such as the installation of defibrillators. Education and training activities were carried out with Magen David Adom staff, including the national team of disaster intervention, to consolidate the emergency response to natural disasters in Israel.
Promotion of international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles
As guardian and promoter of IHL, the ICRC acts to provide protection and assistance to people affected by the armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, and to promote respect for the law. To this end, it disseminates IHL among various local and international stakeholders, supports its implementation at the national level in Israel and the occupied territories, ensures that all parties respect it, and reminds them of their obligations.
Interaction with communities
The ICRC recognizes that members of a community are valuable partners. During the first half of 2023, we are implementing a series of community-focused measures to ensure we address the needs of people affected by armed conflict, who are at the heart of our work:
In Israel proper and in the occupied Golan:
Together with Magen David Adom, communities affected by hostilities were visited in order to monitor the status of the affected civilian population and provide support. Meetings were held with leaders of the Druze community in the occupied Golan to follow the evolution of the situation. situation and listen to their concerns.
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem:
18 young people aged between 16 and 18 from the Duhaisha refugee camp in Bethlehem were supported to participate in various activities and sessions on ICRC working modalities and programmes. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society participated in the activities and facilitated sessions on health care missions and their protection under the law.
In Gaza:
Awareness sessions were delivered to more than 10,000 residents to better understand the risks of unexploded ordnance and promote safer behavior in the Gaza Strip. 1 roundtable was held with 30 detention stakeholders (including relatives of detainees).Information sessions were held, attended by 61 people, on the services and assistance available, and on how to contact the ICRC if necessary.
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