A/HRC/29/52 was either a no-go area or the object of evacuation warnings.8 These terrifying circumstances created a sense of entrapment, of having “no safe place” to go. 23. Alongside the toll on civilian lives, there was enormous destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza: 18,000 housing units were destroyed in whole or in part; 9 much of the electricity network and of the water and sanitation infrastructure were incapacitated; and 73 medical facilities and many ambulances were damaged.10 Many Palestinians were uprooted from their homes or temporary shelters multiple times; at the height of the hostilities, the number of internally displaced persons reached 500,000, or 28 per cent of the population. The effects of this devastation had a severe impact on the human rights of Palestinians in Gaza that will be felt for generations to come. The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, witnessed a period of heightened tensions and widespread human rights violations, including the fundamental right to life, which were overshadowed by the tragic events in Gaza. 24. The impact of the hostilities in Gaza cannot be assessed separately from the blockade imposed by Israel. The blockade and the military operation have led to a protection crisis and chronic, widespread and systematic violations of human rights, first and foremost the rights to life and to security, but also to health, housing, education and many others. According to international human rights law, Israel has obligations in relation to these rights and must take concrete steps towards their full realization. In that context, while fully aware of the need for Israel to address its security concerns, the commission believes that the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, put in place with the assistance of the United Nations to accelerate efforts to rebuild destroyed houses and infrastructure, is not a substitute for a full and immediate lifting of the blockade. 25. Palestinian and Israeli children were savagely affected by the events. Children on both sides suffered from bed-wetting, shaking at night, clinging to parents, nightmares and increased levels of aggressiveness.11 In addition, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, in Gaza, more than 1,500 children were orphaned.12 Anas “Bader” Qdeih, aged 7, was seen pleading for help from people fleeing Khuza’a while holding his intestines, which were coming out of his abdomen, “I don't want to die. Don’t leave me.” He died soon afterwards, after his medical evacuation was delayed. A. Gaza Strip and Israel 26. In the section below, the commission summarizes its main findings and conclusions, emphasizing the key characteristics of the hostilities of 2014. It focuses on areas that reflect new patterns, notably attacks by Israel on residential buildings resulting in the death of entire families; Israel’s ground operations, which levelled urban neighbourhoods; and violations by Palestinian armed groups and authorities in Gaza, including their reliance on attack tunnels. Other incidents – namely, attacks by Israel on United Nations shelters, 8 9 10 11 12 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Occupied Palestinian Territory: Gaza Emergency Situation Report, 22 July 2014, p. 1. OCHA, Gaza Initial Rapid Assessment, 27 August 2014, p. 4. Health Cluster, Gaza Strip: Joint Health Sector Assessment Report, September 2014, available at http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Joint_Health_Sector_Assessment_Report_Gaza_ Sept_2014.pdf. Child Protection Working Group, Child Protection Rapid Assessment Report, October 2014 (available at http://cpwg.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/03/Child-Protection-Rapid-Assessment_-Gaza_2014.pdf). United Nations Children’s Fund, State of Palestine, Humanitarian Situation Report, 23 October 2014, p. 1. 7