GAZA NGO SAFETY OFFICE
GANSO
R E P O R T I N G P E R I O D : 1 8 SE P T - 0 1 O C T 2 0 1 4
BI-WEEKLY SAFETY REPORT VOL 7.33
-IN THIS ISSUE-
Gaza Strip Summary
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Abbreviations Key
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Of Interest….
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General Information
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Regional Summaries
• Rafah
• Khan Yunis
• Middle Area
• Gaza City
• North Gaza
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Contact Information
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-ABOUT GANSOGANSO is a project of CARE
International, funded by SDC
with the aim of providing the
information and analysis the
NGO community needs in order
to implement humanitarian
projects safely.
GAZA STRIP SUMMARY
The number of incidents across the reporting period remained
low amid the holding ceasefire conditions. A total number of 17
incidents were registered in the Gaza Strip, the same number as
that recorded in the previous period. From the overall number of
incidents, five were due to naval fire, eight to border fire, two to
IF incursions, one to a rocket launch and one to an explosive device. The governorate with the highest number of incidents was
North Gaza with nine incidents, all due to naval fire or border
fire. Casualties recorded during the 18SEP-01OCT period included four fatalities—three of which occurred in the same unfortunate UXO detonation accident in Gaza City—and 16 injuries,
most of which can be attributed to border fire, predominately in
North Gaza.
As was the case in the previous reporting period, the security
environment inside the Gaza Strip will continue to depend not
just on the capacity of the parties to achieve a sustainable peace
during ongoing ceasefire talks, but also on the capacity of the
unity government and international aid organizations to continue supporting the rebuilding process, particularly in terms of
housing and the reopening of school facilities. The frequency of
demonstrations related to the housing situation—mainly in Gaza
City—highlights the complexities around shelter provision as
winter approaches. An increase in social activism is a likely consequence of perceived slow delivery of support in this sector.
While most demonstrations tend to be peaceful, delays in sourcing housing options—particularly if supply problems are perceived to be driven by political issues—may increase the fervor
of such protests and associated inconvenience and incidental
risks posed to NGO staff and operations. Protester focus on the
UN and international organizations more generally will continue.
ABBREVIATIONS KEY
OPE…………………………..…………………………..…...Operation Protective Edge
BF. NF…………………………………..…………………….……….Border Fire, Naval Fire
NOTE: GANSO Bi-Weekly Reports and other products are for
the exclusive use of the NGO
community and are not for resale. GANSO accepts no liability
for the results of activities conducted or omitted on the basis
of this report.
ERW…………………….………………………………….......Explosive Remnants of War
IDPs……………………………………………… ...…….Internally Displaced Persons
IED, ED……………………...…… .Improvised Explosive Device, Explosive Device
IF, IAF, INF……………..…..Israeli Forces, Israeli Air Force, Israeli Naval Force
Pal. ops………………....………………………..……………..……..Palestinian Operatives
UXO………..……….……………….……………………………..……...Unexploded Ordnance
E, W, S, N……..………………………......Compass points—East, West, South, North
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GAZA NGO SAFETY OFFICE
R E P O R T I NG P E R I O D : 1 8 SE P T - 0 1 O C T 2 0 1 4
Of interest...
Status of Ceasefire Negotiations
There is at least agreement between Israel
& Palestine to resume talks later in October
on cementing the ceasefire, allowing time
for Palestinian factions to reach internal resolution and agreement. This decision came
on 23SEP at meetings in Cairo, which had
been delayed while Palestinian delegates
debated whether to withdraw in protest
over the killing of two Hamas-affiliated men
in Hebron just hours before the talks were
due to begin. Israel claimed the pair were
involved in the abduction and killing of
three Israeli teens in June. While the Palestinian delegation condemned the killings,
they said they would not give Israel a pretext to duck commitments made on 26AUG
to talks within a month to agree longer-term
border arrangements for the Gaza Strip and
follow up on talks on laying groundwork for
the broader ceasefire issues.
Official updates stated that each side proposed headline issues to include in the timetable of future negotiations, which from the
Palestinian side included construction of air
and sea ports, an end to punitive measures
imposed on the West Bank since June and
for the release of prisoners. While it is clear
from the Palestinian side that negotiations
must include an end to the blockade, Israel
is countering this with concerns about security and movement of weapons. These core
issues will remain key challenges as ceasefire talks progress. A solid solution may be
difficult to achieve, as has been the case in
previous similar scenarios.
Unity Government
The Fatah Central Committee has stated
that the objective of unity government talks
was to explore the options for the Palestinian government to assert control in the Gaza
Strip and thus perform all the functions and
tasks performed by the PA elsewhere in the
Palestinian Territories. Partnership appears
to be predicated on PA control over weapons. A core beneficial outcome may be to
remove the dialogue from being conducted
through the media.
In terms of progress in the unity government talks, the mood in Gaza is a healthy mix
of both pessimism and optimism, stemming
from the initial Cairo agreements between
Hamas & Fatah that led to the announcement
of the unity government at the beginning of
June. Media and official sources are saying
that talks had been taking place in ‘a positive
atmosphere’, tending to suggest substantive
steps may be taken towards burying the
hatchet between Palestinian factions. The two
days of talks also need to be viewed in the
context of the planned indirect talks between
the joint-Palestinian and Israeli delegations
geared towards thrashing out terms of a lasting truce in Gaza. From the optimistic side,
sentiment seems to express that there must
be progress as the alternative is not acceptable in terms of salaries, reconstruction, crossing possibilities, provision of essential services and unemployment; a heady and potentially explosive mix.
UN posturing
Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN calling
for a deadline resolution on Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories. In the
UN General Assembly he also accused Israel
of war crimes during the recent conflict, adding that Israel had ‘perpetrated genocide’,
placing the blame for the failure of the peace
process onto Israel, citing settlement construction, arrest campaigns, forced displacement and the continuing blockade on Gaza.
For his part, Binyamin Netanyahu condemned the UN Human Rights Council for
criticizing Israel’s actions during the conflict,
saying that it encouraged militants to use civilians as human shields as a tactical ploy. He
also lashed out at Abbas’ speech, particularly
with regard to accusations of genocidal acts
reiterating the counter-accusation of the use
of human shields, something that was stated
on an almost daily basis by the IF during the
war. He concluded by drawing a parallel between Hamas and the IS group in Iraq/Syria,
something strenuously and repeatedly refuted by Hamas, who emphasize that their struggle is against the occupation.
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GAZA NGO SAFETY OFFICE
General Information
Eid al-Adha break: GANSO hopes all members enjoyed a safe and happy Eid holiday.
Our Bi-Weekly Report has been issued a
week after its usual distribution timing as a
consequence of the holiday. Normal scheduling will resume in the upcoming reports.
GANSO changes: It is with regret that Rod
Slip signs off as GANSO Project Director in
mid-October, after almost two years in the
role. The whole team—and doubtless the
member community—thank Rod for his
tireless work during some difficult times.
GANSO is now entering a transition period,
with funding secured from SDC for a threemonth extension to the project, taking it
through to December 2014. As we reconsider priorities and look to plan ahead for
2015, GANSO’s Acting Project Director is
Penelope Kinch, who has joined the team
from various roles with the CARE Security
Unit, and a background in information services and analysis with Control Risks. Penelope is delighted to be involved in the transition process and looks forward to meeting
members and discussing the future of GANSO in the months ahead.
Weekend headcounts: For those of you
unable to attend the 01OCT Monthly Briefing, a reminder than GANSO will continue to
conduct the ‘full details’ headcount for international and West Bank/East Jerusalem
ID holder staff in the coming weeks. This is
a precautionary measure while issues
around the ceasefire and reconciliation remain unresolved. While the truce continues
to hold, we remind members that it is only
that: a truce. A more comprehensive solution will likely still be some time coming.
UNMAS update: During the reporting period, UNMAS has been continuing work of
risk assessment in various areas and
providing them with a ‘Clear/Not Clear’ status. Understandably, it remains difficult to
have 100% certainty when ordnance may
be covered in layers of rubble, so awareness
is still a top priority for NGO workers, partners and CFW beneficiaries.
R E P O R T I NG P E R I O D : 1 8 SE P T - 0 1 O C T 2 0 1 4
We remind members that the volume of
ordnance used in the recent conflict and
the scale of resulting damage leave little
doubt that Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) is
a significant threat.
UNMAS continues to share updates with
GANSO, which are distributed to all members and as a secondary conduit through
AIDA, to ensure that agencies on the AIDA
list are not missed. Apologies for any cross
posting.
Awareness is the key to mitigating risks
to staff, partners and the local community
and materials addressing this are available
on the GANSO website. UNMAS is also in a
position to conduct regular awareness sessions for NGO staff at the GANSO office,
every Tuesday at 1100 (Arabic) and at
1200 (English). Please let us know ahead
of time if you are sending staff along.
Community Relations and Social Activism: Demonstrations have increased in
connection with community perceptions of
slow recovery in the reconstruction phase,
post-OPE. Housing and schooling are particular issues capable of mobilizing social
activism, which will continue to focus on
the UN and international organisations
more general. While it is recognized that
assessment is a necessary part of ensuring
that response meets the needs of the community, we remind members that increasingly there is a sense that people are becoming tired of seeing agency vehicles in
the area, without necessarily seeing that
their immediate concerns are being met.
Reports have been received of occasionally
hostile responses to such visits and this
situation could well intensify. Establishing,
or making use of established community
relationships can help mitigate potential
problems.
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GAZA NGO SAFETY OFFICE
R E P O R T I NG P E R I O D : 1 8 SE P T - 0 1 O C T 2 0 1 4
REGIONAL SUMMARIES
RAFAH
As was the case in the previous reporting period, the frequency of incidents has been very low
since the cessation of hostilities. In this case,
there were no incidents reported during the period 18SEP-01OCT. Rafah was not subject to the
recent trend of increased demonstrations that
has been witnessed in other governorates since
the end of OPE. No significant protests were reported.
Total incidents in RA
KHAN YUNIS
With a total of five reported incidents, activity
in Khan Yunis was fractionally up on the last
reporting period, but from a very low base. One
rocket was fired on 20SEP, though this was a
test fire towards the sea and resulted in no damage or injuries. On two occasions, IF bulldozers
entered the east of the governorate to carry out
levelling and excavation work. Incidents of border fire on 23 and 30SEP did not result in any
injuries. One demonstration was reported, in
which around 50 families protested at the Khan
Yunis Distribution Centre to call for housing to
be made available before the winter. One civilian was killed in a family dispute on 20SEP.
Total incidents in KY
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GAZA NGO SAFETY OFFICE
R E P O R T I N G P E R I O D : 1 8 SE P T - 0 1 O C T 2 0 1 4
REGIONAL SUMMARIES
MIDDLE AREA
Middle Area experienced only one incident in
the previous reporting period, and none at all in
the current period, reflecting the overall trend
of a sharp downturn in incidents since the
ceasefire. Two demonstrations were staged,
both at Nuseirat refugee camp; one protest focused on UNRWA, calling for material support to
school students.
Total incidents in MA
GAZA CITY
Incidents of violence in Gaza City remained
low as per the trend witnessed in other governorates. Three incidents were reported, including one border fire event and one naval fire incident, neither of which resulted in any injuries.
The explosive device detonation was a UXO in a
house in Shejaya, which exploded while residents were attempting to remove it from the
property. Three civilians were killed and two
injured in the blast, highlighting the ongoing
threat posed by UXO/EWR in the city.
The other key issue of note in Gaza City during
the reporting period was the frequency of
demonstrations. Up from five in the previous
reporting period, 12 protests were reported in
this period. Motivating factors varied, but included calls for the reopening of schools, demands for information regarding the sinking of
a boatload of Palestinian migrants, and memorials for those killed in OPE. As has been typical,
these passed off peacefully, though
Total incidents in GC
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GAZA NGO SAFETY OFFICE
R E P O R T I N G P E R I O D : 1 8 SE P T - 0 1 O C T 2 0 1 4
REGIONAL SUMMARIES
NORTH GAZA
Nine incidents were reported in North Gaza, a
slight increase from the previous reporting period. These incidents were made up of border fire
and naval fire. No injuries resulted from the naval
fire, but six injuries were sustained in the various
instances of border fire. Four demonstrations
were staged in North Gaza, most of which were
held in memorial for those killed in OPE.
Total incidents in NG
CONTACT US
PROJECT DIRECTOR Rod Slip | [email protected] | +970 (0)59 9997537 | +972 (0) 54 779 7717
PROJECT COORDINATOR Mahmoud Shalabi | [email protected] | +970 (0) 59 8934634
ANALYST Joana Costa | [email protected] | +970 (0) 59 9997535 | +972 (0) 54 779 7715
This document has been produced with the assistance of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The views expressed herein should not be taken in any way to reflect the official opinion of the
SDC.
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