PCBS issues report on Palestinian population on World Population Day

Since October 7th, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have been waging a war of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip along with committing massacres and destruction of buildings, facilities and infrastructure in there, in light of the lack of basic health and food services, with More than 38 thousand martyrs and about 2 million Palestinians left their homes out of about 2.2 million Palestinians who were residing in Gaza Strip on the eve of the Israeli occupation aggression. However, the longer-term damage resulting from this aggression, which will have negative and profound economic, demographic, social and psychological impacts that will affect most groups of the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, and the expectations indicate that it will last for longer periods of time after the end of the war.

About 14.8 Million Palestinians in Historical Palestine and Diaspora

Based on population estimates prepared by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, there are about 14.8 million Palestinians in the world as of mid-2024, half of them outside historical Palestine, where they  reached about 5.61 million Palestinians in the State of Palestine (2.85 million males and 2.76 million females), and 1.8 million in the 1948 Territories. Estimates also indicate that the number of Palestinians in Diaspora has reached about 7.4 million, including 6.3 million in Arab countries.

Data indicate that on the eve of the Israeli occupation aggression against Gaza Strip on October 7th, 2023, about 2.2 million Palestinians were residing in Gaza Strip on an area of ​​365 km2, representing about 41% of the population of Palestine. Most of this population (about 66%) are refugees who were

displaced from their villages and cities as a result of the 1948 war. The population of Gaza Strip is distributed among 5 Palestinian governorates that make up Gaza Strip. According to estimates by mid-2023, about 1.2 Palestinians reside in the governorates of North Gaza (Jabalia) and Gaza, (what is known as the North Gaza Valley), while the remaining million reside in Khan Yunis, Dier Al-Balah, and Rafah Governorates.

The age structure of the population of Gaza Strip indicates that it is a young community, as the percentage of individuals under the age of 18 years is about 47% of the population, and the percentage of individuals under the age of 30 years is about 68%, while the percentage of the elderly (individuals 65 and over) is only about 3%. Accordingly, the median age of the population of Gaza Strip (the age that divides the population’s ages into two equal halves) has reached about 19.5 years, meaning that half of the population is below this age and the other half is above it.

The age structure of the population of Gaza Strip indicates that it is a young community, as the percentage of individuals under the age of 18 years is about 47% of the population, and the percentage of individuals under the age of 30 years is about 68%, while the percentage of the elderly (individuals 65 and over) is only about 3%. Accordingly, the median age of the population of Gaza Strip (the age that divides the population’s ages into two equal halves) has reached about 19.5 years, meaning that half of the population is below this age and the other half is above it.

In light of the Israeli occupation aggression, horrific numbers of martyrs and injured Most of them are children and women

Since the Israeli occupation aggression on October 7th, 2023, about 39 thousand Palestinians have been martyred, constituting 1.7% of the total population of Gaza Strip, of them about 16 thousand   martyrs were children and about 11 thousand were women, in addition to about 10 thousand missing persons. Several thousand Palestinians have also left Gaza Strip since the beginning of the aggression. The number of martyrs who were martyred as a result of famine reached 34 martyrs, the data indicated that 500 medical personnel were martyred, in addition to detaining of 310 medical personnel, and there are about 3,500 children at risk of death due to malnutrition and lack of food.  While the number of the injured reached about 88 thousand, 70% of whom were women and children. While the number of martyrs in the West Bank reached 570 martyrs.

While 10,000 cancer patients face the risk of death and need treatment, and 3,000 patients with various diseases need treatment abroad. On the other hand, contagious diseases spread among displaced persons, with 1,660,942 people infected, where 71,338 displaced people were infected with Hepatitis B. in addition to putting 33 hospitals, 64 health centers, and 161 health institutions out of service, and destroying 131 ambulances.

On the other hand, the Israeli occupation completely destroyed 150,000 housing units, 80,000 housing units are now uninhabitable and 200,000 housing units were partially destroyed, as well as 195 government headquarters and 206 archaeological and heritage sites were destroyed.

Based on the data, the estimated growth rate in Gaza Strip for 2023 will decrease from about 2.7%, according to PCBS estimates for 2023, to only about 1% during 2024. After mid-2024, mortality and birth rates will decrease very significantly as a result of couples’ tendency not to have children as a result of the recent conditions, and out of fear for the health of mothers and children, in addition to the decrease in the number of new marriages after and during the Israeli occupation aggression, which reached very low levels.

It is also expected that the age and gender structure of the population will be directly affected as a result of the Israeli army’s deliberate targeting of specific groups of the population, such as children and youth, which leads to a distortion in the shape of the population pyramid, especially in its base. Knowingly, there is a long-term and medium-term impact that is expected to affect the age structure of the population, represented by a decrease in the number of births for the coming years, which constitute the base of the population pyramid as a result of the martyrdom and targeting of the age group of fertility age or that is expected to contribute to the birth of children during the coming years.

Difficult social conditions for Palestinians in light of the continued Israeli occupation aggression

In light of the ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza Strip since October 7th, 2023, about 2 million Palestinians were displaced in Gaza Strip, and the Israeli occupation committed 3,344 massacres, resulted in mass losses of lives; martyrs and missing persons, as their number about 49 thousand  martyrs and missing persons,.

More than 8 thousand martyrs among students enrolled in schools and higher education institutions in Palestine

The number of martyrs among students enrolled in schools in Palestine reached 8,294 martyrs, with 8,227 martyrs in Gaza Strip and 67 martyrs in the West Bank. The number of injured students enrolled in schools in Palestine reached 13,582 (13,200 injured in Gaza Strip and 382 injured in the West Bank). Regarding the detained students enrolled in schools, 178 students were detained in the West Bank. While the number of martyrs since the beginning of the aggression among students enrolled in higher education institutions in Palestine reached 647 students (613 students in Gaza Strip and 34 students in the West Bank). The number of the injured reached 1,312 (1,189 in Gaza Strip and 123 in the West Bank). In addition, more than 179 male and female students enrolled in universities in the West Bank were detained.

497 martyrs among employees in schools and higher education institutions

The number of martyrs from teachers and administrators in schools in Palestine reached 497 martyrs, 391 of whom were martyred during the Israeli raids on Gaza Strip, and 1 martyr in the West Bank. While 105 employees in higher education institutions in Gaza Strip were killed as a result of the ongoing airstrikes. The number of injured teachers and administrators in schools in Palestine reached 3,426 (3,415 in Gaza Strip and 11 in the West Bank). Meanwhile, more than 111 individuals who are teachers and administrators in schools in the West Bank were detained.

708 thousand students in Gaza Strip were deprived of their right to school and university education

As a natural reaction to the continuous bombing and violent Israeli raids on Gaza Strip and the death toll of students and teachers and the destruction of the infrastructure of a significant number of schools and universities, where 93 schools and universities were completely destroyed, and 330 schools and universities were partially destroyed, with all schools and universities in Gaza Strip being closed since

 the beginning of the Israeli aggression, depriving about 620 thousand students of their right to school education. About 88 thousand students were also deprived of going to their universities, while about 39 thousand students were deprived of their right to take the General Secondary Certificate Examination in Gaza Strip this year.

A severe water and famine crisis threatens the lives of the population of Gaza Strip

The population of Gaza Strip are lacking the basic essentials of life, including housing, food, and water. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) indicated that no less than 70% of the population of Gaza Strip is at risk of famine, which means that the population of Gaza Strip is suffering from catastrophic hunger, and this indicates that Gaza Strip is now considered one of the most famished regions in the world. Data indicate that 90% of children aged 6 to 23 months and pregnant women face severe nutritional deficiencies, and Gaza Strip suffers from a severe crisis in accessing water, where under normal conditions in times before October 7th, 2023, the average per capita consumption of water in Gaza Strip was estimated at approximately 84.6 liters/person/day. However and since the beginning of the Israeli occupation aggression, this figure has dropped to only 3-15.

Source: english.wafa.ps