Israel’s activities in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem resulted in the deaths of 2,314 Palestinians and 17,125 injuries last year, compared with 39 deaths and 3,964 injuries in 2013, according to the annual report by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The conflict in Gaza in July and August mainly accounted for the dramatic increase in fatalities – claiming the lives of 2,220 Gazans, of whom 1,492 were civilians, 605 militants and 123 unverified.
At the height of the conflict, more than 11,000 people were injured and about 500,000 Palestinians were internally displaced at the height of the conflict. About 100,000 have yet to return home, or remain without one.
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 58 Palestinians were killed and 6,028 injured – the most fatalities in incidents involving Israeli forces since 2007 and the highest number of injuries since 2005.
Most of the incidents took place following the abduction and murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, a 16-year-old Palestinian, which led to daily riots and protests in East Jerusalem. Khdeir’s killing followed the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers the previous month.
The UN report, entitled Fragmented Lives, documents an increase in the number of Palestinians injured, incarcerated and displaced, compared with the two previous years.
The sharp rise in casualties and injuries correlates with an increase in the Israeli armed forces’ use of live ammunition, which accounted for almost all fatalities and 18% of injuries.
Meanwhile, Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians – mostly settlers – and security forces also rose in 2014, with Israeli fatalities increasing from four to 12. Likewise, incidents of settler violence resulting in Palestinian casualties and injuries increased.
