• 05 Jan, 2025
• BY Mahmoud Wafiq El-Sharkawy
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Monthly Report on the Monitoring of Internal Displacement Circumstances in the Gaza Strip – December 2024

This monthly report examines internal displacement in the Gaza Strip during December 2024. It draws on an analysis of measures enforced by Israeli occupation forces during the wide-scale offensive launched in October 2023. It also reviews data, maps, and field information while tracking displacement patterns. Additionally, it incorporates insights from relevant official authorities, international bodies, and local NGOs.

The Gaza Strip spans 365 square kilometers, bordered by Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea. Around 2.2 million people reside there, making it one of the most densely populated regions in the world. On September 11, 2005, the Israeli military withdrew unilaterally from Gaza. Since then, under Hamas control, Gaza has repeatedly witnessed large-scale military operations, resulting in extensive civilian casualties and significant infrastructure damage.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas conducted a broad attack against Israeli forces in areas surrounding Gaza. In response, Israeli occupation forces launched “Operation Iron Swords,” considered the most intense assault in Gaza’s history. Nearly two million Palestinians were displaced, with hundreds of thousands barred from returning to their homes. Movement between northern and southern Gaza also faced severe restrictions.

December 1, 2024

• At around 12:15 p.m., Israeli occupation military aircraft targeted a tent housing displaced persons in Mawasi Khan Younis, west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Two children were killed, and around five others—also including children—were injured.

December 2, 2024

• At approximately 3:00 a.m., Civil Defense teams recovered the body of an individual who died in a pit while trying to dig a sewage well west of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Due to the absence of sanitary infrastructure in displacement camps, internally displaced persons (IDPs) resort to digging makeshift wells, creating serious safety hazards.
• Around 8:30 a.m., an Israeli occupation drone dropped bombs in front of the entrance to the Abu Tammam School shelter center in northern Gaza, injuring three people with varying wounds.
• At roughly 11:15 a.m., an Israeli occupation drone also targeted the Halima al-Sa’diyah School shelter center, resulting in injuries to eight people.
• By 10:00 p.m., the Israeli occupation army issued a warning to residents of the Gaza Strip located north of Khan Younis, specifically in blocks (2352, 2353, 2354, 2355, 2270), which encompass the northeastern neighborhoods of Khan Younis in areas such as Al-Qarara, Al-Matahin, Ard Abu Huli, and Abu al-Ajin.

December 3, 2024

• At around 2:30 p.m., Israeli occupation aircraft struck the Al-Falah School shelter center in the Zaytoun neighborhood east of Gaza City, killing six people and injuring others.
• Roughly 15 minutes later (2:45 p.m.), the Zaytoun Girls’ School shelter center was targeted, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to six others.
• By around 3:00 p.m., two people were killed and four injured when the occupation bombed the Al-Jazeera Sports Club shelter center across from Gaza Municipality Park in central Gaza City.
• At 9:15 p.m., Israeli forces besieged about twenty thousand displaced persons in the Abu Tammam School shelter center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, while vehicles in the surrounding area continued shelling, causing numerous casualties. Local sources noted that counting the wounded or evacuating them was extremely difficult under siege conditions.

December 4, 2024

• Around 9:00 a.m., Israeli occupation aircraft targeted the Abu Hmiseh School shelter center in the Al-Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza, killing one person and injuring more than fifteen others. Dozens of IDPs in the center also suffered burns.
• At around 10:30 a.m., the occupation attacked people gathered in front of a community kitchen (Takiya) in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing five individuals—four of them children—and injuring about ten more.
• By 10:45 a.m., the occupation forced IDPs to evacuate shelter centers in Beit Lahiya. Drones called on displaced persons inside to leave under fire, resulting in casualties. It was impossible to determine the exact death toll because of communication breakdowns and continued military activity.
• At 5:30 p.m., Israeli aircraft targeted land where IDPs were staying in Mawasi Khan Younis, southern Gaza, causing twenty deaths, including seven children, and around thirty injuries.
• Around 6:15 p.m., occupation forces struck warehouses containing relief food supplies in Mawasi Khan Younis, killing ten people, injuring dozens, and burning the stored food.

December 5, 2024

• At 4:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft targeted a camp accommodating displaced persons west of Khan Younis, killing about twenty people (including children) and injuring dozens.
• By noon (around 12:00 p.m.), Israeli occupation forces targeted a house sheltering IDPs near Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, killing about seven individuals and injuring around ten more.
• At about 9:00 p.m., a house in the Beit Lahiya Project area was also targeted, killing around twenty people, many of whom remained trapped under rubble.

December 6, 2024,

•  At 8:00 a.m., Israeli occupation forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, arresting multiple displaced persons and medical staff, while forcing other doctors to relocate to the Indonesian Hospital.
• By 9:00 p.m., the occupation’s aircraft targeted land sheltering IDPs west of the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing one woman and wounding about four others.

December 7, 2024

• At around 8:00 a.m., Israeli occupation forces positioned north of the Philadelphi Route opened fire on IDP tents in Mawasi Rafah, southern Gaza, killing two people.
• By 3:15 p.m., Israeli aircraft targeted a tent housing IDPs west of Deir al-Balah, injuring about five.
• Around 4:30 p.m., occupation aircraft struck a house sheltering IDPs in the As-Saftawi area north of Gaza City, killing four women.

December 8, 2024

• At about 2:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft targeted a tent housing IDPs in the Al-Masha’la area southwest of Deir al-Balah, killing five and injuring two.
• Around 2:30 a.m., Israeli occupation aircraft targeted a tent in the An-Namsawi area west of Khan Younis, killing one and injuring others.
• At roughly 7:00 p.m., they struck a tent accommodating IDPs in As-Sawarha (central Gaza), causing about three deaths and leaving more injured.
• By 8:00 p.m., another tent in the Az-Zawaida area was bombed
• , killing one woman and injuring six others.

December 9, 2024

• At 12:15 p.m., Israeli aircraft targeted the Abu Hussein School shelter center in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, killing about three and wounding two.
• Around 2:45 p.m., the occupation targeted IDPs returning to their homes in the Beit Lahiya Project area, killing six and injuring four more.
• By 7:30 p.m., five people were killed and others wounded when the occupation bombed a school serving as a shelter in Jabalia.
• By 8:00 p.m., Israeli occupation aircraft targeted a house sheltering IDPs in Izbet Beit Hanoun, causing around thirty deaths and injuring others.

December 10, 2024

• At around 4:00 a.m., occupation vehicles stationed along the Netzarim axis advanced toward Al-Da’wa, northeast of Nuseirat, under heavy fire from warplanes and drones, killing one person and injuring several. Many residents fled to southwestern Nuseirat.
• By 4:00 p.m., an Israeli drone targeted a group of IDPs in the Ash-Shakoush area of Mawasi Rafah, resulting in three fatalities.
• Close to midnight, Israeli aircraft attacked a house housing IDPs near Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Beit Lahiya Project area, killing more than thirty people, including about five children and seven women.

December 11, 2024

• Around 9:45 a.m., Israeli occupation forces positioned north of the Philadelphi Route opened fire on IDP tents in Mawasi Rafah, injuring about five people.
• By 1:00 p.m., the occupation army warned residents in blocks (2232, 2244, 2245, 2343, 2340), covering the southwestern parts of Al-Maghazi camp and eastern Az-Zawaida, to evacuate toward a so-called “humanitarian zone.” Notably, blocks (2232, 2340) were previously designated as part of this zone, indicating its reduction.

December 12, 2024

• Around 1:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft targeted workers responsible for securing aid under local authority supervision in Mawasi Khan Younis, killing around twenty and injuring more than twenty others.
• By 2:15 a.m., a house sheltering IDPs west of Nuseirat was bombed, killing fifteen people.
• On the same day, the Israeli army warned residents in blocks (703, 690, 783, 688, 784, 687), which include Southern Remal and large parts of As-Sabra, to evacuate immediately to central Gaza City.
• At about 11:30 p.m., Israeli aircraft targeted a tent sheltering IDPs in Mawasi Khan Younis, injuring around five individuals.
• Heavy rains caused flooding of many IDP tents along the beaches of central and southern Gaza, destroying hundreds of them.
• That night, around 11:30 p.m., Israeli aircraft simultaneously targeted two tents housing IDPs in Qizan An-Najjar and Jorat Al-Lot, south of Khan Younis, killing three and injuring about seven with various wounds.

December 13, 2024

• At approximately 3:30 a.m., Israeli occupation helicopters targeted the Yafa School shelter center in Al-Tuffah, east of Gaza City, killing two people and injuring about ten more.
• By 11:00 a.m., the Israeli occupation army warned residents in areas (C2, D5) in southeastern Jabalia—Abu Iskandar and Barakat Sheikh Radwan—to evacuate immediately to central Gaza City.

December 14, 2024

• Around 11:45 a.m., Israeli aircraft attacked the Al-Majida Waseela School shelter center west of Gaza City, killing seven people and injuring about twelve.
• By 12:15 p.m., the Holy Family School shelter center in the Remal neighborhood was struck, killing six and wounding around seven.
• At 6:00 p.m., Israeli aircraft targeted a tent sheltering IDPs in Al-Baraka, Deir al-Balah, killing four and injuring about five.
• By 8:00 p.m., they warned residents in blocks (2270, 2260, 131, 2352, 2353, 2354), including Al-Qarara and Wadi As-Salqa, to evacuate westward to a “humanitarian zone.” These blocks had originally been part of that zone, signifying a reduction of the designated safe area.
• By 11:00 p.m., Israeli helicopters targeted IDP tents near the Al-Durra playground shelter center in Deir al-Balah, injuring around ten.

December 15, 2024

• Around 3:00 a.m., Israeli occupation vehicles in northern Gaza besieged multiple shelters, notably the Khalil Aweyda School in Beit Hanoun, bombarding it and nearby homes with shells and live ammunition overnight. Around forty people died, and many were wounded. By 7:00 a.m., forces stormed the shelter, expelling people toward central Gaza City and arresting numerous IDPs.
• Around 6:30 a.m., some Israeli vehicles advanced into areas near Wadi Abu Jabr, Ard Abu Ghula, and Ard Abu Ma’la northwest of Nuseirat under heavy artillery fire, causing many injuries and extensive damage. A wave of displacement toward the south followed.
• By 8:00 a.m., Israeli vehicles entered Mawasi Khan Younis, focusing on the Fesh Farsh area southwest of Khan Younis, shelling heavily and injuring about ten people. Dozens of tents were destroyed.
• Around 10:00 a.m., Israeli drones dropped leaflets over Beit Hanoun, urging people to move south via Salah al-Din Road.
• By 5:00 p.m., Israeli aircraft attacked individuals charged with securing aid on Al-Rashid Street northwest of Gaza City, killing about three and injuring more.
• At 9:15 p.m., the Ahmed Abdel Aziz School shelter center in Khan Younis was targeted, causing around twenty fatalities, mostly women and children, and injuring more than twenty others.

December 16, 2024

• At about 5:15 a.m., Israeli aircraft bombed a house sheltering IDPs in Nuseirat, killing five—including children—and injuring others.
• Around 2:30 p.m., an Israeli drone opened fire at the Al-Da’wa School shelter center north of Nuseirat.
• By 10:00 p.m., amid the ongoing offensive in northern Gaza, Israeli aircraft targeted a house near Al-Misbah kindergarten in the Beit Lahiya Project, killing two and injuring five more.

December 17, 2024

• At 12:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft attacked a house in Ad-Daraj neighborhood, where a family had taken shelter after fleeing northern Gaza. Ten people—mostly children—were killed, and others were injured.
• Around 5:30 a.m., Israeli vehicles advanced into Mawasi Rafah near Al-Bardawil, close to the Red Cross, an area hosting both residents and IDPs. Backed by drones and naval fire, the incursion killed one person, injured many more, and trapped about fifteen thousand families. By 11:00 a.m., the vehicles withdrew, leaving large-scale displacement. Some families remained unable to evacuate because of the blockade.
• At 6:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft bombed a house in the Beit Lahiya Project, killing about fifteen people.
• By 4:00 p.m., the Khalifa bin Zayed School shelter center in Jabalia was targeted, killing three and injuring others.
• At around 9:45 p.m., a tent in the An-Nass area of Mawasi Khan Younis was bombed, killing one woman and injuring five.
• At 8:30 p.m., Israeli aircraft struck a house west of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Beit Lahiya Project, killing ten people and injuring several others.

December 18, 2024

• At 2:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft targeted a tent accommodating IDPs west of Deir al-Balah, killing two and injuring others.
• Around 6:00 a.m., bandits attempted to hijack aid trucks in Mawasi, prompting local authorities to intervene. Five people were killed, and nine others were injured.
• On this day, the Palestinian Observatory for Internal Displacement recorded the establishment of a new camp of IDP tents at the Ash-Shuja’iyya intersection east of Gaza City.
• Around 12:00 p.m., the Israeli occupation army warned residents and IDPs in blocks (2220, 2221, 2222, 2223) in Al-Bureij to evacuate westward, leading to further displacement.

December 19, 2024

• At about 5:00 a.m., amid the continued offensive in northern Gaza, Israeli aircraft targeted a house sheltering IDPs in Jabalia, killing ten—mostly children—and injuring others.
• Around 11:00 a.m., they struck a tent occupied by IDPs in Al-Fukhari, east of Khan Younis, killing a husband and wife and injuring about three more.
• By 3:00 p.m., Israeli aircraft bombed the Al-Karama School shelter center east of Gaza City, injuring about ten people.
• Around 3:30 p.m., the Sha’ban Ar-Reyes School shelter center, also east of Gaza City, was bombed, killing fifteen and injuring around five

December 20, 2024

• A 20-day-old infant died from the cold in a tent in Mawasi Khan Younis.
• Around 5:00 p.m., the occupation’s aircraft targeted an apartment sheltering IDPs in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, killing eight people and injuring two more.

December 21, 2024

• Israeli occupation vehicles encircled Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Beit Lahiya Project. They heavily shelled several sections of the hospital and fired at the buildings, demanding that everyone inside evacuate. As a result, around ten people were killed and many were wounded.
• Around 9:30 p.m., Israeli aircraft hit a house accommodating IDPs in the Al-Mazra’a area of Deir al-Balah, killing twelve people and injuring about seven more.

December 22, 2024

• At about 1:30 a.m., Israeli aircraft targeted the Musa bin Nusayr School shelter center in Ad-Daraj, Gaza City, killing eight (including two children) and wounding others.
• Around 9:00 a.m., a strike near the Halima al-Sa’diyah School shelter center in Jabalia killed four and injured others.
• By 1:00 p.m., an Israeli drone dropped a bomb in the courtyard of a primary school in the “new camp” north of Nuseirat, injuring around sixteen people.
• At about 3:00 p.m., occupation vehicles coming from the Netzarim axis advanced into the “new camp” until they reached about 500 meters from the Abu Rassas supermarket amid heavy gunfire and drones. They besieged several shelters, killing five and injuring around twenty. The vehicles withdrew the following morning, leaving behind extensive destruction.
• Around 7:00 p.m., Israeli aircraft targeted a tent sheltering IDPs in Mawasi Khan Younis, killing two and injuring others.
• By 8:30 p.m., multiple tents in the Fesh Farsh area of Mawasi Khan Younis were bombed, killing about five people, injuring approximately twenty, and igniting fires.
• Around 9:30 p.m., occupation aircraft hit a tent sheltering IDPs inside a school shelter center in Nuseirat, killing a child and injuring his mother.

December 23, 2024

• Around 12:00 a.m., occupation aircraft attacked a security team on the coastal road in Mawasi Khan Younis, killing five and wounding five more.
• By 9:00 a.m., an Israeli sniper posted on rooftops west of Rafah killed a civilian in Mawasi Rafah.
• Around 9:30 a.m., occupation aircraft struck a tent sheltering IDPs in the “new camp” north of Nuseirat, killing one person and wounding four others.
• By noon, they bombed a tent at Bani Suheila intersection in Khan Younis, killing one individual and injuring five more.
• At 2:00 p.m., the army warned residents and displaced persons in blocks (888, 734, 737, 891, 890, 889)—covering large parts of Ash-Shuja’iyya—to evacuate westward, prompting additional displacement.
• By 7:15 p.m., Israeli aircraft targeted a security team on Salah al-Din Road in the central Gaza Strip, killing five members.

December 24, 2024

• Around 10:15 p.m., Israeli aircraft attacked a tent west of Khan Younis, killing two and injuring four.
• By 11:45 p.m., they struck another tent near Hamad Towers, also west of Khan Younis, killing two people and injuring about three more.

December 25, 2024

• At about 8:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft bombed a house accommodating IDPs in Beit Hanoun, killing four and injuring others.
• By 6:00 p.m., they targeted a house near the Latin Monastery Church in southern Gaza City, killing one and wounding additional victims.
• Around noon, the School for Gifted Students shelter center in Sheikh Radwan (north of Gaza City) was hit, killing six and injuring four more.
• By 6:00 p.m., Israeli helicopters bombed the Al-Jazeera Club shelter center in central Gaza City, killing three people and injuring about three more.

December 26, 2024

• A wave of displacement left the Zaytoun neighborhood after intensified gunfire and shelling.

December 27, 2024

• Around 6:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft targeted a house in Sheikh Radwan, killing nine people and injuring about five.
• A displaced person in a tent in Mawasi Khan Younis died of cold-related causes.
• On the same day, Israeli occupation forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, arresting many medical staff, patients, and IDPs, while forcing everyone else to move toward Gaza City.
• Around 6:00 p.m., an Israeli drone opened fire on a displaced woman in Unknown Soldier Square (Al-Jundi Al-Majhool), central Gaza City, killing her.
• By 7:00 p.m., women arrived at Al-Qaram roundabout northeast of Gaza City after being forced to leave Beit Hanoun. They reported that occupation forces arrested all men, ordering only women to proceed southward.

December 28, 2024

• Displaced persons in Mawasi Khan Younis managed to extinguish a tent fire caused when its occupants burned wood for heat. Three people sustained moderate burns.
• At around 8:00 a.m., large groups of IDPs arrived from Beit Lahiya to Halima al-Sa’diyah School in Jabalia, then proceeded to Gaza City following the evacuation order.
• The monitoring team noted that strong winds and heavy rain had severely damaged many tents along Gaza’s central and southern coastline.
• By 2:00 p.m., Israeli vehicles opened fire on IDP tents in Mawasi Rafah, killing two people and injuring others.
• Around 3:00 p.m., occupation aircraft targeted a tent near the Qatari camp in Mawasi Khan Younis, killing two and injuring about four more.
• At 5:00 p.m., the Israeli army warned residents in blocks (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, D2, D5, D6)—covering northern Gaza areas, specifically Beit Hanoun—to immediately evacuate south via Salah al-Din Road.

December 29, 2024

• At 7:00 a.m., Israeli vehicles near the Netzarim axis moved northward toward Nuseirat under intense shelling, killing one person and injuring others.
• Around noon, Israeli aircraft targeted tents accommodating IDPs near Abu Khadra in central Gaza City, killing seven and wounding others.
• At 5:00 p.m., the army instructed residents of blocks (D1, D3)—the An-Nasr neighborhood, Madinat Al-Awda, and Hay Al-Murabiteen—to relocate southward to central Gaza City.
• That night, bandits looted aid trucks on Salah al-Din Road, including one carrying essential medicines for displaced people

December 30, 2024

• Heavy rainfall caused flooding and swept away many IDP tents across Gaza, according to the monitoring team.
• Local authorities reported the number of cold-related deaths among tent-dwelling IDPs rose to seven in just one week.

December 31, 2024

• A continued low-pressure system caused more tents to flood or collapse. Gaza’s Civil Defense reported that rainwater inundated over 1,500 tents, with water levels reaching up to 30 centimeters in some places. Many IDPs experienced hypothermia, and their bedding and personal belongings were destroyed by water.