UN warns of deepening humanitarian needs in Palestine amid Israeli aggression, settler violence

The United Nations has warned that the ongoing Israeli military aggression and illegal settler violence in the occupied West Bank continue to place Palestinians at serious risk and deepen humanitarian needs.

In a statement, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said: "Over the past two weeks, OCHA has documented further incidents resulting in the killing and injury of Palestinians."

Between December 9 and 22, "six Palestinians were killed, including five by Israeli forces and one by an Israeli settler," it said, adding that "of the total, four were children."

OCHA also raised alarm over continued displacement across the occupied West Bank, reporting that "over 100 Palestinians [were] displaced due to demolitions and evictions over the past two weeks, including 63 in East Jerusalem and the rest in Area C."

Highlighting one incident, the agency said this "includes 50 people, among them 21 children, displaced in a single Israeli demolition of a four-storey building in the Silwan neighbourhood on December 22 for lacking an Israeli-issued building permit, which is nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain."

Difficult entry to Gaza

According to Palestinian figures, Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,102 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000, and detained around 21,000 since October 2023.

Turning to Gaza, OCHA said the UN and its partners "continue to respond to the mounting needs of displaced families and to mitigate the impact of recent winter storms, which have further worsened conditions for thousands of people across the Strip."

However, it warned that "despite these efforts, the humanitarian response has been unable to keep pace with the scale of needs due to ongoing restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities, including on the entry of supplies into Gaza."

OCHA also cited infrastructure challenges, saying shortages of new materials are hampering efforts to maintain and repair Gaza City’s sewage networks, forcing teams to rely on old components.

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Source: TRT