![Palestinians ride on a carriage past a Hamas government building damaged in an Israeli air strike in Gaza January 7, 2009 [REUTERS/Mohammed Salem, courtesy www.alertnet.org]](/var/storage/images/emergencies/eu-israel-agreements/hamas-government-building-damaged-/982100-1-eng-GB/hamas-government-building-damaged-_3column00_nospace_landscape.jpg)
Israel has occupied the West Bank and Gaza strip since 1967. Almost three-quarters of Palestinians now live below the UN poverty line.
In the West Bank, most Palestinians cannot build homes or roads, or move freely from place to place because the Israeli authorities will not give them permission. This damages the economy, local services and breaks up families.
In Gaza, ongoing violence, including the conflict with Israel in December 2008, has left thousands of people without homes and unable to access medical care. Thousands of people, including many children, are traumatised.
We work with local organisations in Gaza providing emergency relief and counselling. In the West Bank our partners work towards peace by providing legal services to people who’s homes are threatened and finding peaceful ways to help people stand up for their rights.
 | Child trauma centre opens in Gaza Opening of new psycho-social centre in Gaza highlights child trauma |
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A special counselling centre for children is helping Gaza’s youngest victims of violence. Find out how we are standing by the people of Gaza in the aftermath of tragedy. |
![A Red Crescent official loads medicine from Egypt into vehicles to send to the Rafah Strip [Reuters, courtesy www.alertnet.org]](/var/storage/images/about-cafod/where-we-work/palestinian-territories/images/medicine-from-egypt/978848-3-eng-GB/medicine-from-egypt_0column75_06space_landscape.jpg) |
Following almost a month of conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed and many thousands injured, overwhelming local hospitals |
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Islamic Relief and CAFOD warn that the humanitarian crisis is deepening hour by hour in Gaza |
| All sides must end violence in Gaza CAFOD calls on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, to bring an immediate end to violence as the number killed and injured rises in Gaza |
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More than 116 million people – one per cent of the world’s population – took action against poverty on October 17-19. Thank you to all those who were part of this historic event |
![The Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation helps children with learning difficulties to integrate with other children [Paulinus Barnes]](/var/storage/images/where_we_work/middle_east/palestinian_territories/images/boy_playing_at_table/5601-2-eng-GB/boy_playing_at_table_0column75_06space_landscape.jpg) | Showing solidarity with Palestinians CAFOD and its partner Caritas Jerusalem show their solidarity with Palestinians on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, November 29 |
![A Red Crescent official loads medicine from Egypt into vehicles to send to the Rafah Strip [Reuters, courtesy www.alertnet.org]](/var/storage/images/about-cafod/where-we-work/palestinian-territories/images/medicine-from-egypt/978848-3-eng-GB/medicine-from-egypt_0column75_nospace_landscape.jpg)
