Humanitarian Situation Report | 23 July 2026

Highlights

• Fatalities linked to settler attacks in 2026 have already surpassed the total recorded during all of 2025, with 18 Palestinians killed as of 20 July compared with 17 throughout 2025.
• About 90 Palestinians were displaced by demolitions and settler attacks during the reporting period, most following a large-scale demolition carried out by Israeli authorities in a Bedouin community in Qalqiliya governorate.
• Demolitions and settler attacks continued to affect Palestinian homes, water systems, schools and livelihood assets, further undermining access to essential services and community resilience.
• In Gaza, deteriorating sexual and reproductive health conditions are placing pregnant women at growing risk: in the first half of 2026, nearly 4,000 miscarriage cases were recorded, severe maternal morbidity reached 82 cases per 1,000 deliveries, and more than 57 per cent of pregnant women were anemic.
• Nearly 630,000 tonnes of debris have been cleared from roads and essential service facilities to date across the Gaza Strip, but this remains only a fraction of the more than 60 million tonnes generated since October 2023, much of which remains inaccessible.

Overview

Across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), humanitarian needs continue to deepen as insecurity, access restrictions, repeated displacement and the erosion of essential services affect Palestinians in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli forces' operations, demolitions, settler violence and settlement expansion continued to drive displacement, casualties and property damage, with Bedouin and herding communities in Area C among the most affected. During the reporting period, demolitions and settler attacks displaced about 90 Palestinians and damaged homes, water and sanitation infrastructure, schools and livelihood assets. Meanwhile, the number of fatalities linked to settler attacks in 2026 has already surpassed the total recorded during all of 2025.

In the Gaza Strip, civilians continued to face severe protection risks amid ongoing military operations, repeated displacement and widespread insecurity, while access constraints, shortages of essential supplies and funding gaps continued to hamper the humanitarian response. Deteriorating sexual and reproductive health indicators point to growing risks for women and girls, including high levels of pregnancy loss, maternal complications and anaemia. At the same time, overcrowded displacement sites, limited shelter capacity, damaged water and sanitation infrastructure, and the massive accumulation of debris continue to undermine safe living conditions and access to basic services, despite ongoing efforts to clear roads, restore critical infrastructure and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

West Bank

The reporting period for this section is 14 to 20 July unless otherwise specified.

Across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli forces' operations, demolitions, settlement expansion, settler violence and movement restrictions continued to drive displacement, heighten protection risks, and undermine Palestinians' access to housing, livelihoods and essential services.

During the third week of July, Shelter Cluster partners reached approximately 1,180 people (228 households) through about 224 interventions, primarily minor-to-moderate shelter repairs, alongside essential non-food items, protection kits and, where feasible, cash assistance. Response prioritized communities affected by displacement, demolitions and settler violence, particularly in Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron governorates. Meanwhile, the prolonged displacement of more than 33,000 Palestine refugees from Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps continued to generate significant shelter needs, but funding shortfalls continue to limit partners' capacity to scale up assistance.

Since the beginning of 2026, Child Protection partners have provided case management and referrals to specialized services for 758 children and caregivers affected by settler violence, Israeli forces' operations, movement restrictions, displacement and deteriorating socioeconomic conditions. Partners also provided cash-for-protection, in-kind assistance and clothing kits to 1,331 children and 211 caregivers.

Health Cluster partners continued to deliver life-saving services through a network of 870 health service points, including 230 mobile clinic locations. During the third week of July, mobile teams reached 232 of the 249 communities requiring these services (approximately 205,800 people), while about 10 Barrier-isolated communities in the Seam Zone remained inaccessible. Ongoing military operations, movement restrictions, settler violence, shortages of essential medicines and funding shortfalls continued to constrain humanitarian health operations.

Casualties

Between 14 and 20 July, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian men and injured two others during a settler attack in Deir Jarir village, east of Ramallah, after dozens of settlers, some armed and accompanied by Israeli forces, raided the village while attempting to seize sheep. Separately, on 18 July, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy succumbed to wounds sustained six days earlier after Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, attacked a Palestinian home in Al Mughayyir village, also in Ramallah governorate.

These incidents reflect a broader rise in fatalities linked to settler attacks. As of 20 July, 18 Palestinians had been killed in such incidents in 2026, including 12 by Israeli settlers, three by Israeli forces, and three where it remains disputed whether Israeli settlers or Israeli forces were responsible. This already exceeds the 17 fatalities recorded in all of 2025. More than half of those killed in settler attacks this year (10 of 18) were in Ramallah governorate.

Overall, during the reporting period, about 36 Palestinians, including two children and eight women, were injured by Israeli forces or settlers. More than 90 per cent were injured in the context of settler attacks, while the remainder were injured mainly during Israeli forces' raids and other operations. Nearly 30 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers, including nine during a single attack targeting Palestinian herders, among them five women, in Isfey al Fauqa community in Firing Zone 918, Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron governorate, where armed settlers assaulted residents while attempting to seize livestock.

Since the beginning of 2026, about 880 Palestinians have been injured in the context of settler attacks, including 720 by Israeli settlers and the remainder by Israeli forces, accounting for 56 per cent of all Palestinian injuries in the West Bank. The number of injuries by Israeli settlers linked to settler attacks has risen sharply, increasing from an average of one injury every three days in 2020 to two injuries per day in 2025 and more than three per day so far in 2026.

Settler Attacks and Property Damage

During the reporting period, at least 50 settler attacks that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both were documented, of which nearly 60 per cent were in Ramallah and Nablus governorates. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 1,330 such incidents have been recorded across 250 Palestinian communities, averaging more than six incidents per day.

During the reporting period, five settler attacks targeting Palestinian homes and community infrastructure were documented in Burqa (Ramallah), Khalet al Luza (Bethlehem) and At Tuwani in Masafer Yatta (Hebron). The predominantly night-time attacks involved arson, vandalism, stone throwing and attempted break-ins, damaging at least five homes, a mosque, a community dairy factory and other civilian property, including water infrastructure, a livelihood vehicle and a residential solar water heating system. At least 570 Palestinians were directly affected, including about 560 residents of At Tuwani, among them 58 farmers who rely on the village dairy factory for their livelihoods. Beyond the physical damage, the attacks disrupted livelihoods and community services and heightened protection concerns, particularly following repeated night-time raids on residential areas.

Similar protection concerns were reported in Jalud village, south of Nablus governorate, where Israeli settlers have continued to occupy an under-construction Palestinian house since 29 June. As of the end of the reporting period, the takeover had effectively isolated three neighbouring households comprising nine people from the village centre and essential services. Since early July, settlers have repeatedly vandalized nearby homes and infrastructure, including water pipelines, water tanks and electricity cables, while preventing residents from carrying out repairs. As of the end of the reporting period, the affected households had been without electricity for more than four days after coordination through the Palestinian District Coordination Liaison (DCL) to facilitate repairs was unsuccessful. The families remain increasingly isolated, with limited access to water, electricity, and essential services.

Access to Water

According to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster, access to water and sanitation services across the West Bank remains constrained by damage to infrastructure resulting from demolitions and settler attacks. Settler attacks affecting WASH structures have been concentrated in Ramallah and Tubas governorates, while demolitions have primarily affected Jerusalem, Hebron and Bethlehem governorates. Nablus and Jericho governorates have been significantly affected by both types of incidents. The loss of water infrastructure increases reliance on emergency water trucking and undermines access to sufficient water for domestic use and livestock, particularly in Bedouin and herding communities where alternative sources are limited.

The demolition of WASH infrastructure has increased significantly in recent years. In 2025 and during the first seven months of 2026, Israeli authorities demolished an average of about 14 WASH structures per month in Area C – more than three times the monthly average recorded between 2009 and 2024 (see graph).

At the same time, settler attacks continue to affect water infrastructure. Since the beginning of 2026, water tanks have accounted for more than half of the approximately 160 WASH structures damaged, destroyed or seized in settler attacks across the West Bank, followed by water networks, household connections and other water infrastructure. Recent attacks have increasingly targeted shared water infrastructure serving entire communities. In June alone, water networks were vandalized in at least six communities, disrupting water supply to all or large parts of those communities.

This pattern was reflected in several incidents during the reporting period. On 19 July, Israeli settlers from surrounding settlement outposts attacked Nkheila, one of 18 Bedouin communities located within the area designated for the planned expansion of the E1 settlement plan, in Jerusalem governorate. Settlers damaged water pipelines serving approximately 200 residents, restricted access to grazing areas, and took over the nearby Ein Rawabi spring, a key water source for the community's livestock. According to residents, repeated attacks and harassment have prevented repairs to the damaged pipelines, leaving the community dependent on inadequate alternative water sources for domestic and livestock use.

Similarly, on 21 July, Israeli settlers from a newly established settlement outpost took over a Palestinian-owned water cistern in Khallet al Hums, in Masafer Yatta, Hebron governorate, by installing an electric pump. According to local sources, the takeover has prevented at least 90 people from accessing three water cisterns used for domestic purposes and livestock, exacerbating water shortages in the community.

To mitigate these challenges, WASH partners continue to implement emergency and resilience-focused interventions across the West Bank, including water trucking, the distribution of hygiene kits, mobile latrines and water storage solutions. Since the beginning of 2026, partners have provided water trucking support to approximately 60 communities and locations hosting displaced families. Most assistance has focused on Bedouin and herding communities in Masafer Yatta and the northern Jordan Valley, where recurrent settler violence, demolitions and restrictions on access to water sources have heightened humanitarian needs. Partners have also provided support to highly vulnerable communities in Ramallah and Jerusalem governorates affected by demolitions, settler violence and acute water shortages, as well as to locations hosting displaced families in Hebron, Nablus, Salfit, Jericho, Jenin and Tulkarm governorates.

Access to Education

On 21 July, the Khallet al Miyah Municipality, in coordination with a legal aid organization, secured a temporary injunction suspending the execution of a demolition order against Ar Rifa'iyya Mixed Basic School, east of Yatta in Hebron governorate. The school, which serves 175 students from kindergarten to Grade 7 and employs 14 staff, had faced imminent demolition after an Israeli court rejected the community's appeal on 8 July (see previous Sitrep).

While the injunction temporarily delays the demolition, it comes amid growing concerns over the impact of settler violence, displacement and demolition threats on access to education. According to the Education Cluster, 20 of the 84 Palestinian schools currently subject to demolition or related orders are assessed to be at high risk of abandonment due to settler violence, demolitions and related displacement risks, placing about 1,600 students at heightened risk of educational disruption. Since 2023, the displacement of Bedouin and herding communities has led to the abandonment of 10 schools that previously served more than 460 students. Seven of these schools have since been vandalized and three demolished, including two by Israeli settlers. Although Education Cluster partners have facilitated school transfers and temporary learning arrangements, many children continue to face longer journeys to school, overcrowded classrooms, transportation challenges and an increased risk of dropping out.

Throughout 2026, Education Cluster partners reached more than 60,000 students through remedial and catch-up learning programmes, rehabilitated 30 schools, provided transportation assistance and other protective measures to more than 2,600 students and education personnel in high-risk areas, and delivered education-specific cash assistance, psychosocial support and legal aid. However, chronic underfunding continues to constrain the response. As of mid-2026, less than 10 per cent of the Education Cluster's Flash Appeal requirements had been funded, limiting the cluster's capacity to sustain emergency interventions and support longer-term learning recovery and resilience.

Displacement

During the reporting period, Israeli authorities demolished 61 Palestinian-owned structures for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. These included 56 structures in Area C, displacing 15 households comprising 79 people, three structures in Area B, and two structures, including one home, in East Jerusalem, displacing five people. Overall, the demolished structures comprised 18 homes, four uninhabited residential structures, 31 WASH and agricultural structures, and seven livelihood-related structures.

Most of the displacement in Area C occurred in the Arab al Jahalin/Wadi Mu'nes Bedouin community, near Immatin village in Qalqiliya governorate, where Israeli authorities demolished 31 structures, including 19 donor-funded structures. As a result, 13 Bedouin households comprising 64 people, including 34 children, were displaced. The demolitions included 15 residential shelters, 13 latrines, nine livestock shelters and multiple water tanks, severely affecting shelter conditions, access to WASH services and livestock-based livelihoods. Many of the demolished structures had been provided as humanitarian assistance in 2021 and 2022. Humanitarian partners subsequently delivered emergency assistance, including food parcels, bedding, kitchen and hygiene kits, a one-off multipurpose cash payment, mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS) services, WASH support, emergency tents and assistance to restore livestock shelters.

Separately, one Palestinian family was displaced after about 40 masked Israeli settlers, believed to be from Gilad settlement, raided the western side of Tell village, south of Nablus governorate, on 18 July and set fire to a Palestinian home. The family fled minutes before the house was completely destroyed, resulting in the displacement of five people. During the same incident, settlers also set fire to nearby Palestinian agricultural land before withdrawing.

The incident in Tell village reflects a broader pattern of recurrent settler attacks and related access restrictions that has intensified across the West Bank since January 2023, particularly in Bedouin and herding communities in Area C. Between January 2023 and 6 July 2026, 123 Palestinian communities experienced full or partial displacement, including 47 that were fully displaced. More than 6,200 Palestinians, including over 3,000 children, were displaced during this period, including more than 2,300 people in 2026 alone. Repeated displacement, attacks on homes and infrastructure, and restrictions on access to land and essential services continue to increase humanitarian needs and undermine community resilience.

For key figures and additional breakdowns of casualties, displacement, and settler violence between January 2005 and May 2026, please refer to the OCHA West Bank May 2026 Snapshot. For key figures on the impact of settler attacks, please refer to the West Bank – The Impact of Settler Attacks, January 2023 – April 2026

Gaza Strip

This section covers 13 to 19 July unless otherwise specified.

The humanitarian situation across the Gaza Strip remains critical, with ongoing military operations, insecurity and repeated displacement continuing to drive humanitarian needs, heighten protection risks and disrupt access to essential services. Civilians, including children and frontline service providers, continue to face serious safety risks, while sexual and reproductive health indicators are deteriorating amid the cumulative effects of displacement, food insecurity, and the degradation of health services.

At the same time, severe funding constraints, access restrictions, shortages of supplies and operational challenges are limiting partners' ability to sustain and expand assistance, including in displacement sites where living conditions remain dire. Although some progress has been made in debris clearance and the entry of supplies, needs continue to outpace available resources, leaving many vulnerable people unable to access the support and services they require.

According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, which operates under the de facto authorities, 59 Palestinians were reported killed, including those who died of wounds and had their bodies retrieved from under the rubble, and over 190 people were injured between 15 and 22 July. This brings the overall reported casualty toll since the announcement of a ceasefire agreement on 10 October 2025 to 1,180 fatalities and 3,810 injuries.

Against this backdrop, civilians, including children, and service providers continued to face significant security risks across Gaza, with incidents affecting both communities and service delivery points. On 14 July, a child was reportedly killed by stray gunfire in Al Mawasi area, in Rafah. The following day, on 15 July, a female teacher was injured after reportedly being shot by a bullet fired by Israeli forces while she was working inside a temporary learning space (TLS) west of Khan Younis, approximately 3.3 kilometres from the “Yellow Line”. Separately, on 13 July, a bullet landed in the yard of another TLS in Rafah, forcing the suspension of all activities and its interim closure. Several additional cases of children being killed or injured were also reported during the reporting period, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced protection measures and safe access to services.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Indicators Continue to Deteriorate Across Gaza

Sexual and reproductive health indicators continued to deteriorate across the Gaza Strip during the first half of 2026, reflecting the cumulative effects of crisis, displacement, food insecurity, and the degradation of essential health services. Between January and June 2026, over 3,950 miscarriage cases were recorded in the Bayan Dashboard, the MoH’s reproductive health information platform, which consolidates data from partners providing reproductive health services across the Strip. The miscarriage rate reached 208.5 per 1,000 live births, a 3.3-fold increase compared with the second half of 2025 and peaked at 377.3 per 1,000 live births in April 2026. Nearly 74 per cent of pregnancy losses occurred during the first trimester, while 57.1 per cent of pregnant women were anaemic, highlighting the worsening health and nutritional status of women across the Gaza Strip.

The number of deliveries declined by 3.2 per cent in the first six months of 2026 compared with the first half of 2025, with sharper monthly decreases observed since April. Alongside the increase in miscarriages, severe maternal morbidity reached 82 cases per 1,000 deliveries, while caesarean sections accounted for 49.2 per cent of all deliveries, largely driven by emergency procedures among women arriving in critical condition. Haemorrhages, hypertension, and infections accounted for 92 per cent of severe maternal complications, underscoring the increasing severity of maternal health risks.

To better understand the drivers of these adverse outcomes, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in collaboration with humanitarian partners, is commissioning a comprehensive study to identify risk factors, service gaps and barriers to care, and to inform an evidence-based response to strengthen maternal and newborn health services. Meanwhile, UNFPA continues to distribute reproductive health supplies, dispatching medicines, contraceptives, midwifery supplies and equipment sufficient to support approximately 1,950 women and girls between 13 and 19 July. These supplies were provided to the Al Helou, Al Awda and Nasser hospitals, as well as to medical points operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Additionally, over 3,700 postpartum kits were distributed to 15 maternity hospitals, based on recent delivery figures from the Bayan Dashboard.

Debris Management Supports Access and Early Recovery Amid Major Constraints.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s debris management efforts continue to play a critical role in restoring humanitarian access and improving access to essential services, markets and neighbourhoods across the Gaza Strip. Despite highly constrained operating conditions, significant progress has been achieved in clearing conflict-generated debris and supporting early recovery interventions.

To date, nearly 630,000 tonnes of debris have been cleared in a risk-managed manner from roads and essential service facilities. In parallel, 231,334 tonnes of concrete debris have been crushed across five dedicated debris-crushing sites, generating materials that are being reused to support local recovery efforts. This includes 184,191 tonnes of crushed concrete used to pave 264,873 square metres of roads and provide foundations for shelters and essential service facilities, helping to improve mobility and service delivery in affected areas.

However, debris management operations continue to face substantial challenges. Volatile security conditions, access constraints, restrictions on the entry of critical machinery and spare parts, and severe shortages of fuel and engine oil continue to limit the pace and scale of activities.

The scale of needs also remains overwhelming. The volume of debris cleared to date represents only a small fraction of the more than 60 million tonnes of debris generated, much of which remains inaccessible. This underscores the magnitude of the recovery effort required and the need for sustained access, equipment and resources to expand debris management operations across the Gaza Strip.

Dire Conditions in Displacement Sites Heighten Health and Protection Risks

Living conditions in displacement sites across the Gaza Strip remain extremely concerning, particularly in collective centres where access constraints and limited site management capacity continue to hinder the identification of urgent needs and timely response. During the reporting period, the Site Management Cluster analysed 181 non-UNRWA collective centres hosting approximately 28,000 households (138,258 people). Many of these sites lack active site management support for routine monitoring, community engagement, care and maintenance, and the referral of priority needs. Although 93 per cent of assessed sites reported having site management committees, only 42 per cent of these committees had received training on site management approaches, humanitarian principles, protection principles, and codes of conduct, leaving many sites reliant on overstretched community structures to address daily challenges.

Recent site monitoring findings highlight severe risks to health, safety, and dignity. Sixty-nine per cent of assessed sites reported visible sewage within the compound, largely due to damaged or blocked sewage systems, increasing the risk of contamination and disease transmission. Inadequate sanitation facilities have forced some families to improvise toilets inside their shelters or use buckets and plastic bags, while rodent infestations have been reported in several sites. In addition, 80 per cent of sites lack functional lighting, limiting safe movement at night and heightening protection risks, particularly for women, girls, older people, and people with specific needs. Existing Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces cover less than half of the 537 sites with active Site Management Cluster presence according to the latest joint service mapping by the Site Management and Protection cluster. This is equivalent to roughly 270 sites, or only about 17 per cent of the approximately 1,600 displacement sites mapped across the Gaza Strip, leaving many women and girls without access to essential support services. Some school buildings currently hosting displaced families also show structural damage from previous military operations, raising concerns about potential building collapse.

Site Management Cluster partners continue to support collective centres where possible, including through care and maintenance activities implemented via Cash for Work initiatives, which have reached 42 per cent of the assessed sites. However, needs continue to far exceed available capacity, underscoring the urgent need for additional support to improve living conditions and address critical infrastructure, protection, and public health risks in displacement sites across the Gaza Strip.

Incoming Supplies

Ashdod remained the primary upstream route for humanitarian cargo entering Gaza during the reporting period, with 334 UN and humanitarian partner trucks offloaded, marking a continued improvement following the scanner breakdown between 16 June and 2 July, which had disrupted cargo flow and contributed to a backlog. This represents a 21 per cent increase compared with the previous week, when 276 trucks were offloaded, and an 81 per cent increase compared with two weeks earlier, when 185 trucks were offloaded.

Despite this improvement, access and logistical constraints continued to affect the predictability and volume of incoming supplies. On 19 July, a scanner malfunction at the Sheikh Hussein Bridge-Jordan River Crossing prevented 14 trucks carrying water, sanitation and shelter items for two partners from crossing. Although the scanner was subsequently repaired and operations resumed, the delay meant that no cargo carrying items designated as “dual-use” from Jordan was offloaded during the reporting period. Such items, once cleared by the Israeli authorities, are currently authorized to offload at Kerem Shalom only once per week; as a result, the delayed cargo missed the available offloading window. Humanitarian partners continue to advocate for the authorization to have two weekly offloading days for “dual-use” items, particularly to reduce the backlog from Jordan.

The closure of the Zikim Crossing on 24 May has further reduced aid throughput and removed direct cargo access to northern Gaza, with approved cargo now channelled through the only available crossing, Kerem Shalom, in the south. Following the October 2025 ceasefire announcement, when Zikim and Kerem Shalom were both operational and Kissufim was used intermittently, UN and partners’ aid throughput averaged 749 trucks per week. After Zikim was temporarily closed following the 28 February regional escalation and later reopened for six weeks from 12 April to 22 May, weekly throughput averaged 639 trucks. Since the final closure of Zikim on 24 May, average weekly throughput has fallen to 517 trucks, representing a 31 per cent decrease compared with the period when Zikim and Kerem Shalom were both operational, and a 19 per cent decrease compared with the six-week period when Zikim temporarily reopened.

On the commercial front, data from the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, shared with the Cash Working Group (CWG), indicate that the private sector collected 828 truckloads into Gaza between 13 and 19 July. Of these, 419 truckloads (50 per cent) contained food items, 21 (2.5 per cent) cooking gas, 46 (5.5 per cent) hygiene products, and 88 (11 per cent) shelter materials. Smaller quantities included baby care items, insecticide, stationary supplies and solid fuel. In addition, 238 truckloads (28 per cent) contained non-essential goods, in line with the pattern observed in previous weeks.

According to the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, prices remained relatively stable, with only minor differences (+/- 5 per cent) for fresh products, compared to the preceding week. However, prices of baby diapers and infant formula increased by 12 and 8 per cent, respectively, likely due to reduced supply and continued demand. Overall inflation moderated slightly in July, averaging 187 per cent compared with 194 per cent in June. The combination of inflation and limited income-generating opportunities continue to undermine purchasing power and increase reliance on humanitarian assistance.

The UN is only able to confirm the entry of supplies tracked by UN 2720. For breakdowns of those, see the online UN 2720 Mechanism Dashboard.

For a detailed account of the latest humanitarian operations in Gaza, see Annex 1 below.

Funding

Sources: Financial Tracking System and oPt HFas of 15 July 2026.

Annexes

---

** Double asterisks indicate that a figure, sentence, or section has been rectified, added, or retracted after the initial publication of this update.