People check the car in which two journalists, Mustafa Thuria, a video stringer for AFP news agency, and Hamza Wael Dahdouh, a journalist with Al Jazeera television network, were killed in a reported Israeli strike in Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Picture: AFP
In a harrowing report published on January 11, Oxfam disclosed that the daily death toll in Gaza, resulting from Israel's military actions, has surpassed the rates witnessed in any other major conflict of the 21st century.
According to Oxfam, the escalation of hostilities, surpassing its 100th day, has left an average of 250 Palestinians dead each day, significantly exceeding the tolls seen in recent conflicts.
Using publicly available data, Oxfam calculated that number of average deaths per day for Gaza is significantly higher than any recent major armed conflict including Syria (96.5 deaths per day), Sudan (51.6), Iraq (50.8), Ukraine (43.9) Afghanistan (23.8) and Yemen (15.8).
Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam’s Middle East Director, expressed deep concern, stating: “The scale and atrocities that Israel is visiting upon Gaza are truly shocking. For 100 days, the people of Gaza have endured a living hell. Nowhere is safe, and the entire population is at risk of famine.”
Oxfam warns of a dire humanitarian crisis, with people forced into smaller areas due to constant bombardment and more than half of Gaza's population, over one million people, seeking shelter in Rafah on the Egyptian border.
Israel's blockades on aid entry exacerbate the crisis, with only 10% of weekly food aid reaching the population. Oxfam highlighted threats beyond direct casualties, including hunger, disease, and cold.
Sally Abi Khalil concludes: “While the mass atrocities continue, lives continue to be lost, and critical supplies cannot get in. The only way to stop the bloodshed and prevent many more lives from being lost is for an immediate ceasefire, for hostages to be released, and for crucial aid supplies to be allowed in.”
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