Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts: Live tracker

AJLabs

December 19, 2023

The latest death toll stands at 19,968 Palestinians and about 1,139 people killed in Israel since October 7.

 

Israel has continued its attacks across the Gaza Strip, including near hospitals and in the south of the besieged enclave where ground operations are intensifying.

Here are the latest casualty figures as of December 19, 3:00pm local time in Gaza (13:00 GMT):

Gaza

    Killed: At least 19,667, including at least:

        7,729 children

        5,153 women

    Injured: More than 52,586, including at least:

        8,663 children

        6,327 women

    Missing: More than 8,000

The latest figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the occupied West Bank are as follows:

 

Occupied West Bank

    Killed: At least 301, including at least:

        72 children

    Injured: More than 3,365

In Israel, officials revised the death toll from 1,405 to 1,139.

 

Israel

    Killed: About 1,139

    Injured: At least 8,730

Devastation across Gaza

According to the latest data from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Palestinian government, as of December 19, Israeli attacks have damaged at least:

·        Over half of Gaza’s homes - 306,500 residential units have been destroyed or damaged

·        352 educational facilities damaged

·        27 out of 35 hospitals not functioning

·        102 ambulances damaged

·        197 places of worship damaged

 

Nowhere safe to go

The Israeli army published an online map of the Gaza Strip on December 1, dividing the enclave into more than 600 numbered blocks. It asked Gaza’s civilians to identify the block corresponding with their area of residence and evacuate when ordered.

However, leaflets distributed ordering evacuations are inconsistent with online warnings, which has confused the residents.

Furthermore, several Gaza residents have no reliable way to access the map, with little access to electricity or the internet since the blockade of the 365sq km (141sq miles) strip has resulted in a collapse of telecommunications infrastructure.

Every hour in Gaza:

    15 people are killed - 6 are children

    35 people are injured

    42 bombs are dropped*

    12 buildings are destroyed

*Based on the first six days of the war, according to the Israeli army

Journalists killed

As of December 18, at least 73 journalists, mostly Palestinian, have been killed since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), 66 Palestinian journalists have been killed, as well as three Lebanese and four Israeli journalists.

Sixteen years of Israeli blockade

The Gaza Strip has a population of about 2.3 million people living in one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Located between Israel and Egypt on the Mediterranean coast, the Strip is about 365sq km (141sq miles).

Since 2007, Israel has maintained strict control over Gaza's airspace and territorial waters and restricted the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza.

Following Hamas's attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to turn Gaza into a “deserted island” and warned its residents to “leave now”.

How the Hamas attack unfolded

On the morning of Saturday, October 7, at about 6:30am (03:30 GMT), Hamas fired a huge barrage of rockets into southern Israel, with sirens heard as far away as Tel Aviv and Beersheba.

The group said it launched 5,000 rockets in the initial barrage. Israel’s military said 2,500 rockets were fired.

About an hour later, fighters crossed into Israel in an unprecedented multipronged operation through land, air and sea. Most fighters entered through breaches in security barriers separating Gaza and Israel.

Hamas’s surprise attack came after Israeli settlers had stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in recent days and after a record number of Palestinians had been killed by Israel in recent months.

At 9:45am (06:45 GMT), blasts were heard in Gaza and at 10am (07:00 GMT), Israel’s military spokesperson said the air force was carrying out attacks in Gaza.

Gun battles continued between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters in several areas of southern Israel.

Israeli air attacks continued late into the night, as did rocket fire into southern Israel.

Gaza's densely populated neighbourhoods

The Gaza Strip comprises five governorates: North Gaza, Gaza City, Deir el-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah.

North Gaza extends for 10km (6 miles) and shares the only crossing into Israel through Beit Hanoon, also known as the Erez crossing.

North Gaza is home to the Jabalia refugee camp, the largest in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza City is the Strip's largest and most populous city, with more than 750,000 residents. Remal, Shujayea and Tal al-Hawa are among its most well-known neighbourhoods.

At the heart of the Remal neighbourhood is al-Shifa Hospital – the largest medical facility in the Gaza Strip.

Deir el-Balah is one of Gaza’s largest agricultural producers. It is also home to four refugee camps: Nuseirat, Bureij, Maghazi and Deir el-Balah.

Gaza’s only operating power plant is located along the district’s boundary with Gaza City.

Khan Younis is home to some 430,000 people. At its centre is the Khan Younis refugee camp, where about 90,000 people live.

Rafah is the southernmost district of Gaza, with a population of about 275,000. Rafah is also the name of the crossing with Egypt that is located here.

Both Israel and Egypt have kept their borders largely shut and are responsible for further deteriorating the already weakened economic and humanitarian situation.