At least 41,788 Palestinians have been killed and more than 96,794 injured. This number is expected to increase rapidly as airstrikes continue. More than 40% of deaths are children.

In the Westbank, around 697 have been killed.

The tightening of Israel’s siege of Gaza – cutting off supplies of food, medicine, fuel, and aid – represents collective punishment of all 2.2 million people living in Gaza, around half of whom are children.

What is happening in Palestine right now?

Following one year of continued bombardment by Israel, the death toll and number of injuries are still increasing. Many academics expect tens of thousands more people will die from hunger, disease and denial of access to medical care.

In addition, aid agencies and medical professionals are urgently calling for a ceasefire to allow life-saving polio vaccinations to be administered to about 640,000 children aged under 10 following confirmation of the first case of polio in Gaza in 25 years, with reports of other suspected cases emerging.

From mid-to-late August, Israel also issued displacement orders in Deir al-Balah – one of the only remaining areas in the occupied Gaza Strip with essential infrastructure and warehouses storing aid supplies – forcing another mass movement of families and humanitarian workers from the region.

The feeling of betrayal and being let down is taking over everyone in Gaza. We are exhausted and praying that the world will end this nightmare, but still there is no end in sight.

Our Partners on the ground:

As conditions rapidly deteriorate, amid this latest escalation in hostilities, we remain steadfast in our determination to provide life saving support to the Palestinian families.

Working closely with our local partner, Islamic Relief, we are distributing essential items to affected families.

Islamic Relief is working on the ground in Gaza and in partnership with UN agencies such as the World Food Programme, who are bringing in essential food packages via the Kerem Shalom crossing, which we then distribute.

Through a number of additional trucks, we have also been able to deliver vital hygiene, medical, and personal items. This includes warm winter clothing, feminine hygiene products, and children’s nappies.

We desperately need more aid to get into Gaza, alongside a permanent ceasefire.

The Islamic Relief team are cooking hot meals daily for over 140,000 people who have fled their homes, who are now living in overcrowded shelters and are in desperate need of food.

However, more aid needs to urgently be allowed into Gaza, as the UN reports Gaza is likely to enter famine imminently. 1 million people in Gaza are suffering severe hunger. Children are dying from starvation, and most families are now going whole days without eating.