UN-OCHA / April 17, 2026
[United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs]
Highlights
- Ongoing strikes and environmental hazards, including pests and rodents, continue affecting residential areas across the Gaza Strip, putting people at risk and further undermining living conditions.
- Critical health services remain under strain, with medicine shortages increasing dialysis-related transfusion needs and largely halting cardiac catheterization.
- UN and partner aid inflows declined by 37 per cent between the first and second three-month periods following the 10 October 2025 ceasefire agreement – coinciding with reduced crossing operations, increased cargo returns, scanning malfunctions and other impediments.
- In the West Bank, two Palestinians were killed by Israeli settlers on 8 and 11 April, raising to 61 the number of those killed in settler attacks over the past three years, including 34 by Israeli settlers, 17 by Israeli forces, and 10 by Israeli settlers or forces.
- More than 80 Palestinians were displaced across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, between 7 and 13 April, including 47 due to settler attacks and access restrictions and 38 by lack-of-permit demolitions; in 2026, more than 2,500 Palestinians have been displaced by demolitions, settler attacks, and evictions.
Overview
High levels of violence and restrictive policies persist across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Over the past week, new casualties, damage to property and further displacement have been reported – intensifying humanitarian needs while continued access and operational constraints hinder relief efforts.
Gaza Strip
Living conditions across the Gaza Strip remain dire, with most families still displaced and reliant on humanitarian assistance, including trucked water, particularly for drinking. Civilians often cannot afford basic commodities and lack adequate protection from violence and environmental exposure – including to pests and rodents (see below). Airstrikes, shelling, and gunfire continue across residential areas, reportedly resulting in civilian casualties and damage to critical facilities. Recently, many strikes seem to have targeted police personnel, according to reports.
Data by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza indicates that between 8 and 15 April, 29 Palestinians were killed, one body was retrieved, and 105 people were injured, bringing the overall reported casualty toll since the announcement of the ceasefire in 10 October 2025 to 765 fatalities and 2,140 injuries.
Between 6 and 12 April, in response to rainfalls, one fire incident, and further displacement, the UN-led Joint Rapid Distribution Mechanism reached 317 households with full multi‑sectoral assistance packages, including the provision of tents to 63 households. In addition, six households received tents only, 38 households were supported with tarpaulins and blankets, and a further 647 households received tarpaulins based on assessed needs.
Following the temporary pause of medical evacuations from Gaza after a security incident on 6 April, the UN support to such medical evacuations resumed on 12 April. A total of 103 patients were taken out of Gaza, alongside their 190 caregivers, in three separate movements through the Rafah Crossing – on 12, 14 and 15 April. At the same time, the UN and partners offered support to 292 Palestinian returnees who re‑entered Gaza via the same route.
Pests, rodents and public health
Widespread and severe environmental health hazards continue to be identified across the Gaza Strip. Partners report a proliferation of rodents, cockroaches, flies, and other pests, contributing to disease transmission, with a high prevalence of scabies, lice, and skin infections. The scale and persistence of such public health risks are linked to overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, and limited access to hygiene services.
Between 7 and 13 April, an alert system managed by the Site Management Cluster (SMC) across displacement sites indicated that rodents or pests were frequently visible in 1,326 of the 1,644 assessed sites (81 per cent), affecting about 1.45 million people. Additional alerts highlighted persistent sanitation‑related risks, including sewage in surrounding streets (61 per cent of sites), accumulated solid waste (56 per cent), and flooding or stagnant water (24 per cent). Traces of open defecation and dead animals were also reported. Only 3 per cent of sites indicated no visible environmental health hazards within or around the site perimeter.
These environmental conditions are closely mirrored in reported household‑level health concerns. A total of 1,322 sites (81 per cent) reported the presence of skin infections or rashes, including scabies, lice, bedbugs, or other ectoparasitic infestations. Skin infections or rashes were reported in nearly two‑thirds of sites, lice in over 65 per cent, and bedbugs in more than half. Other ectoparasitic infestations were identified in over one‑quarter of sites. According to health partners, more than 70,000 cases of rodent and ectoparasitic infestations have been reported so far in 2026.
To address these risks, the UN and partners are working jointly across all sectors by improving the management of solid waste and access to health services, boosting drainage and sanitation services, advancing pest control measures, and strengthening hygiene promotion, among other steps.
However, many of these measures rely on items that are largely unavailable in Gaza and often difficult to take in. While interventions that rely on pesticides are well underway, implementation requires lengthy processes including procurement, approvals, shipment, deployment and safe application. The decongestion of waste disposal sites is similarly constrained.
Until more comprehensive solutions are advanced, the UN and partners have already deployed mechanical traps and sprayed chemical treatments on a limited scale with locally available materials. Partners across all sectors are raising awareness of personal hygiene, sanitation, the safe use of chemicals in affected sites, and where to seek medical advice. Medical staff and community representatives have been trained in identifying cases and trends. Livestock owners have been provided with some pest-control supplies, as farm animals can serve as disease reservoirs. And food security partners have strengthened the management of food waste and are monitoring community kitchens.
More approvals are needed to take in pest-control chemicals, hygiene supplies and the engine oils and spare parts required for pumping, rubble removal and other operations.
Incoming supplies
Since 6 April, the flow of humanitarian aid from Ashdod Port has increased, after shrinking by 65 per cent between 31 March and 5 April, although the scanner is still not operating at full capacity. Humanitarian cargo offloading rates from the Egypt corridor remained stable at 80 per cent throughout 1 and 13 April.
Following the reopening of Zikim Crossing for humanitarian cargo on 12 April, offloading activities have been allowed on alternating days. The crossing is now expected to admit cargo from the Ashdod Port and from Jordan via the Back-to-Back (B2B) route. The reopening of Zikim provides important direct access to northern Gaza.
Since 12 April, the Israeli authorities have also authorized an increase in the volumes of supplies sent by the UN and partners through the Jordan B2B route – from 50 to 60 trucks, twice a week.
According to the online UN 2720 Mechanism Dashboard, in the first three months after the announcement of a ceasefire on 10 October 2025, the UN and partners took into Gaza over 167,600 metric tons of humanitarian aid; in the following three months, between 11 January and 11 April 2026, aid inflows declined by 37 per cent to less than 105,000 metric tons.
This reduction coincided with significant access constraints, including high volumes of cargo manifested via the Egyptian corridor that was returned by the Israeli authorities throughout February, the prolonged closure of the Zikim crossing and technical issues affecting scanning capacity at Ashdod Port. While the recent reopening of Zikim is a critically needed and welcome development, multiple obstacles still prevent the UN and partners from fully scaling up humanitarian assistance.
All data presented so far in this section, on incoming supplies, refers to humanitarian cargo tracked by the UN 2720 mechanism; as such, it does not include bilateral donations and the commercial sector.
For more information on incoming supplies, see the online UN 2720 Mechanism Dashboard.
With regards to the commercial sector, available data from the Gaza Chamber of Commerce suggests that between 6 and 12 April, a total of 403 truckloads of commercial goods were collected into the Strip. The proportion of essential commodities further reduced in favour of non-essential ones. Out of the 403 truckloads, 52 per cent reportedly carried food, only five per cent cooking gas, three per cent shelter materials and another three per cent hygiene items, while 37 per cent of truckloads were reported as carrying items classified as “other,” including non-essential goods.
For a detailed account of the latest humanitarian operations in Gaza, see Annex 1 below.
West Bank
Casualties
Between 7 and 13 April, Israeli settlers shot and killed two Palestinian men during settler attacks: one fatality was in Tayasir town, in Tubas governorate, on 8 April, and another in Deir Jarir village, in Ramallah governorate, on 11 April. In Jayyus village, in Qalqiliya governorate, an elderly Palestinian woman died from a heart attack during a search operation by Israeli forces (not counted among the overall number of fatalities by Israeli forces or settlers).
During the same period, at least 40 documented Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians resulted in casualties, property damage, or both. In one incident in Wadi Qana, in Salfit governorate, settlers damaged crops and irrigation pipelines. In another incident in Beit Imrin village, in Nablus governorate, two elderly women were physically assaulted and injured by Israeli settlers while harvesting thyme.
In total, at least 48 Palestinians, including eight children, were injured during the reporting period, including 22 by Israeli settlers in settler attacks and 26 by Israeli forces within the context of search operations and other raids by Israeli forces.
In 2026, 35 Palestinians have been killed, including 10 by Israeli settlers, 24 by Israeli forces and one by Israeli settlers or forces. In addition, at least 880 Palestinians have been injured, including about 495 by Israeli forces and 385 by Israeli settlers. Since January 2023, 61 Palestinians have been killed in settler attacks, including 34 by Israeli settlers, 17 by Israeli forces, and 10 by Israeli settlers or forces.
Displacement
On 13 April, Israeli forces permitted 114 Palestinian women to briefly return to their homes in Jenin Camp to retrieve some belongings. This followed coordination through the Palestinian District Liaison Office and was subject to personal searches upon entry and exit as well as escort by Israeli soldiers. The women are among 33,362 Palestine refugees displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps since January 2025. One woman reported finding extensive damage inside her house, including major structural destruction and loss of belongings.
According to the most recent assessment by the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), based on imagery collected on 26 January and 5 February 2026, more than 1,500 structures were identified as destroyed or moderately to severely damaged in the three camps.
During the reporting period, OCHA triggered emergency response to support people following the demolition of 10 structures, including eight homes, for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. These included three structures in Area C, displacing one person, and seven structures (all homes) in East Jerusalem, displacing nine families comprising 37 people, including 11 children. The nine families were forced to demolish their homes in Al Bustan area of Silwan, Ath Thuri, Jabal al Mukabbir and the Old City of Jerusalem following the receipt of demolition orders to avoid the payment of additional fines and fees. About half of 86 structures demolished in East Jerusalem in 2026 were demolished by their owners following the receipt of demolition orders by Israeli authorities.
In addition, six Bedouin families comprising 47 people, including 35 children, were forcibly displaced in two communities in Ramallah and Jericho governorates due to recurrent settler attacks.
Overall, in 2026, more than 2,500 Palestinians, including over 1,100 children, have been displaced by administrative and punitive demolitions, settler attacks, and evictions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In line with trends observed in recent years, settler attacks and related access restrictions continue to be a primary cause of displacement, accounting for 75 per cent (more than 1,900) of recorded displacement this year, the vast majority in Area C. Also in Area C, about 340 Palestinians have been displaced by lack-of-permit demolitions carried out by Israeli authorities, nearly 60 per cent of whom were in Hebron and Nablus governorates. In East Jerusalem, over 250 Palestinians have been displaced by administrative demolitions and evictions, 60 per cent of whom were in the Silwan area; these comprise roughly 180 people displaced by lack-of-permit demolitions and the rest due to evictions implemented by Israeli authorities pursuant to legal cases filed by Israeli settler organizations.
Food Security and Livelihood Situation
According to the Food Security Sector, food security conditions in the West Bank remain fragile. Household purchasing power continues to decline, with people increasingly relying on negative coping strategies and humanitarian assistance. Despite the relative availability of food commodities in local markets, food prices remain elevated and income opportunities limited. The agricultural sector remains under significant strain due to access restrictions, rising input costs, and limited water availability during the spring farming season, resulting in reduced productivity and continued reliance on humanitarian support. Livestock conditions also remain fragile, with herders facing high feed costs and constrained access to veterinary services.
For a description of key incidents, please see Annex 2 below.
For a description of humanitarian response in the West Bank by cluster, please see Annex 3 below.
Funding
Sources: Financial Tracking System and oPt HF
Annexes
** Double asterisks indicate that a figure, sentence, or section has been rectified, added, or retracted after the initial publication of this update.
