This factsheet focuses on the effects of the Israeli blockade and the internal division between the Palestinian factions on the social and economic wellbeing of the people with disabilities.

Key facts about the Rehabilitation Sector:

1. 42 persons with disability including 25 physically disabled, 6 mentally handicapped, 3 acoustically handicapped, 4 people with multi-disabilities, 4 visually handicapped were killed.


2. 1134 persons became disabled after the Israeli offensive 2014.


3. 351 houses sheltering persons with disabilities were destroyed; 58 houses were completely destroyed.


4. 2204 persons with disabilities were forced to flee their houses to shelter in a number of 45 shelters most of which were schools that lacks of elements of safe, healthy and appropriate housing for persons with disabilities.


5. 10 workplaces for persons with disabilities were destroyed.


6. 1680 persons with disabilities lost their medical equipments and devices.


7. 9 rehabilitation centers were either partially or completely destroyed.

Rehabilitation  Sector vision in reconstruction and development process in the Gaza Strip.

The international level:

1. Criminalize the Israeli occupation practices and hold it accountable for the crimes it repeatedly commits against persons with disabilities.


2. Oblige and force the Israeli occupation authorities to immediately stop its violations committed against persons with disability and immediately lift the tight blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.


3. Compel the Israeli occupation authorities to respect the international and human rights conventions including the conventions related to persons with disability.


4. Oblige the Israeli occupation Authorities to accept the responsibility for the results of its violations against persons with disabilities including the results of the continued blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for years.


5. Prepare an inventory of information about the Israeli occupation violations against persons with disabilities and the rehabilitation centers


6. Develop a national plan to deal with disasters, that should include measures of evacuation for persons with disabilities when needed.


7. Demand the international community to intervene and protect the civilians and stop the systematic Israeli occupation violations of the rights of persons with disabilities.


8. Call upon the state parties signatories of the Fourth Geneva Convention to carry out its obligations and take practical steps to end the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, and take measures to protect the civilians in the Palestinian territory.

At the National Level:

1. Put an immediate end to the state of the Palestinian internal division which casts a shadow on all aspects of life especially persons with disabilities.


2. Demand decision-makers and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) to immediately apply the disability law No.(4) of 1999, to fulfill the urgent needs of persons with disabilities.


3. Activate the national plan to improve the life of persons with disability. All concerned parties have to participate.


4. Develop Complaints Management System to ensure that society related visions and issues with regard to participatory procedures and achievements are accessed.

At the level of the reconstruction plan:

1. Monitor the implementation of donor state obligations pledged in the Gaza reconstruction conference held in Cairo.


2. Rebuild and restore persons with disabilities' workplaces that were destroyed during the last summer's offensive to be adequate and to fit their needs by consulting their caregivers to achieve this.


3. Focus on building public and private facilities to fit persons with disabilities.


4. Rebuild and re-equip the rehabilitation institutions that were destroyed by the Israeli occupation offensive and compensate the institutions for the damages they sustained.


5. Make the centers that would be used by persons with disabilities as shelters during emergencies to fit them.


6. Include persons with disabilities in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in the reconstruction plan and the related projects in particular.


7. Involve persons with disabilities in the reconstruction plan by providing them with appropriate employment opportunities.


8. Develop Complaints Management System with the implementation process of the reconstruction plan with regard to participatory procedures and the achievements.