Humanitarian Situation Report | 5 November 2026
Key Highlights
- As hundreds of Palestinians begin returning to their homes in two neighbourhoods of Hebron city following a 10-day operation by Israeli forces, humanitarian organizations are supporting local authorities in assessing damage and addressing outstanding needs.
- Settler violence and access restrictions continue to disrupt the olive harvest, with 377 olive-harvest-related settler attacks recorded since the start of the season in September, already exceeding the total recorded during any previous harvest season; farmers continue to face physical assaults and theft of harvested olives and equipment.
- Heavy rainfall and flash floods damaged shelters, belongings and livestock fodder of 37 Palestinian households across seven Bedouin communities in the northern Jordan Valley.
- In the Gaza Strip, strikes continue to cause casualties in populated areas and affect humanitarian operations; attacks have caused reported civilian casualties and hit the vicinities of humanitarian convoys and facilities.
- The Food Security Sector warns that the daily production and free distribution of meals could reduce by approximately 45 per cent if the current Israeli suspension of the entry of humanitarian and commercial supplies from Egypt continues.
- As winter approaches, Israeli restrictions on the entry of engine oil and spare parts threaten essential water, sanitation and health services. Shelter conditions remain abysmal, with families’ needs far exceeding the limited resources available to the Shelter Cluster.
- Maternal and newborn health services are overstretched, with neonatal unit occupancy reaching 151 per cent and special-care baby unit occupancy 199 per cent in September.
West Bank
The reporting period is 27 October to 2 November 2026 unless otherwise specified.
| KEY FIGURES | |
|---|---|
| 76% | 64 |
|
of 93,051 applications by patients to be treated in East Jerusalem or Israel approved (January-October 2026) Source: WHO |
Settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage in one week |
The humanitarian situation across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continued to be affected by Israeli forces' operations, settler violence and restrictions on Palestinian movement and access to essential services. During the reporting period, 58 Palestinians, including two children, were injured: 43 by Israeli settlers and 15 by Israeli forces. Additionally, two Israeli solidarity activists were physically assaulted and injured by Israeli settlers on 1 November in Tell al Khashaba, near Aqraba (Nablus). Of the Palestinian injuries, 49 (84 per cent) were in the context of settler attacks, including 44 linked to the olive harvest. A total of 64 settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage were recorded.
In Hebron city, following a shooting attack by two Palestinians on 23 October that killed two Israeli soldiers and injured four others, an operation by Israeli forces between 23 October and 2 November reportedly displaced approximately 3,000 Palestinians from two neighbourhoods, although displacement figures remain under verification (see below). In Khirbet Suruj, near Al Yamun in Jenin governorate, seven Palestinian families comprising 33 people were displaced on 29 October after Israeli authorities reportedly ordered them to leave, claiming the area as state land and threatening to demolish their structures.
Access to specialized health care remained constrained by permit requirements. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 76 per cent of the 93,051 patient permit applications submitted to Israeli authorities between January and October 2026 to access medical treatment in East Jerusalem or Israel were approved, while the remainder were denied or remained pending by the time of the scheduled appointment. Although this represents an increase from 64 per cent in 2025, the approval rate remained below pre-October 2023 levels.
Access to education continued to be disrupted by Israeli forces' operations, movement restrictions and settler violence, particularly in Masafer Yatta, Hebron governorate. On 1 November, Israeli forces detained 10 teachers from Jinba Basic School for approximately five hours while they were returning home. The incident compounded longstanding restrictions on school transportation and access to education in the area, including the confiscation of vehicles and restrictions on coordinated access to communities within “Firing Zone 918.”
During the reporting period, Israeli authorities demolished or forced Palestinians to demolish 31 Palestinian-owned structures, displacing 71 people, including 38 children, and otherwise affecting 72 people. Of the total, 24 structures were demolished for lack of Israeli-issued building permits and seven on punitive grounds. The punitive demolitions belonged to families of Palestinians killed or arrested for carrying out attacks against Israelis.
Humanitarian impact of the operation by Israeli forces in Hebron city
| KEY FIGURES | |
|---|---|
| 3,000+ reportedly evacuated | 11 schools |
| between 23 October and 2 November according to Hebron Municipality; displacement figures remain under verification | serving approximately 4,450 students remained inaccessible on 1-2 November |
On 2 November, Israeli forces ended a 10-day operation in Hebron city that began on 23 October, during which extensive movement restrictions were imposed and over 3,000 Palestinians were reportedly displaced from the Jildah and ‘Ein Deir Bahah neighbourhoods. Following the operation, displaced families began returning to their homes, with reports of damage to household belongings, including in homes reportedly used as military positions by Israeli forces. The extent of damage, displacement and outstanding humanitarian needs remain under assessment.
On 30 October, Israeli forces carried out punitive demolitions of two inhabited residential apartments in ‘Ein Deir Bahah, belonging to the families of two Palestinians who killed two soldiers in the 23 October shooting attack and were killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces. The demolitions, carried out using explosives, caused severe damage to adjacent apartments, including windows, doors and water tanks. Three families comprising 15 people, including nine children, were displaced, while neighbouring families were otherwise affected. According to affected families, Israeli forces also arrested eight relatives of the attackers, including one woman, and physically assaulted the father of one of the attackers, causing injuries requiring medical treatment.
During the preceding week, approximately 90,000 students under the Hebron Directorate of Education were affected by the temporary suspension of in-person learning, with schools operating through assignments. While in-person learning began resuming on 1 November, 11 schools serving approximately 4,450 students and employing 246 education personnel remained inaccessible on 1 and 2 November due to movement restrictions imposed during the operation. Following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, inspections of affected schools were undertaken to check for hazardous remnants and ensure the safety of students and staff ahead of the planned resumption of in-person learning on 3 November. Psychosocial support is also being provided to affected families and children attending the 11 schools.
On 2 November, members of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) visited Hebron city, meeting with local authorities and humanitarian organizations and visiting affected neighbourhoods to assess the humanitarian impact of the operation and outstanding needs. Local authorities and humanitarian partners continued coordinating the response to affected families, including the provision of one round of emergency multi-purpose cash assistance, with a second round under consideration based on assessed needs. As displaced families began returning, priority needs under assessment included emergency shelter repairs, non-food items and assistance to families whose homes and belongings were damaged.
Settler violence and olive harvest season
| KEY FIGURES | |
|---|---|
| 64 | 377 |
| Harvest-related settler attacks in one week (27 October - 2 November) | Harvest-related settler attacks since the season began (1 September – 2 November) |
Settler violence remained at high levels, with 64 attacks resulting in casualties or property damage recorded across 48 communities during the reporting period, compared with a weekly average of 53 such attacks so far in 2026. October recorded the highest monthly number of such attacks since the UN began documenting these incidents in 2006, with 457 recorded by 31 October.
During the reporting period, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes in several communities in Hebron governorate, particularly in Masafer Yatta. In Khirbet al Majaz, settlers physically assaulted residents and damaged their home and belongings, while homes and property were damaged in Mughayir al Abeed and Halaweh. In Nablus, settlers obstructed municipal road rehabilitation works, after which Israeli forces detained and physically assaulted two municipal workers, preventing the completion of repairs.
The olive harvest continued to be disrupted by settler violence and restrictions on farmers’ access to agricultural land. In Hebron and Bethlehem governorates, Israeli authorities suspended previously scheduled access near settlements during the Hebron city operation, subsequently indicating that arrangements would resume subject to daily confirmation. Even where access was coordinated or permitted, farmers continued to face restrictions and settler attacks. In Beit Iksa (Jerusalem), settlers and Israeli forces reportedly forced farmers to leave their olive groves despite “prior coordination,” while farmers reported that settlers had already harvested olives from approximately 30 trees. In Deir Ammar (Ramallah), access was limited to three days and 15 farmers aged over 40; an 82-year-old farmer was subsequently assaulted by settlers while harvesting during the scheduled period.
Between 27 October and 2 November, 41 olive-harvest-related settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage were documented, including eight in Areas A and B. In Jamma’in and Qabalan (Nablus), settlers assaulted farmers harvesting in Area B, including two men over 70 years old. In Kafr Malik (Ramallah), settlers accompanied by Israeli forces reportedly attacked farmers, injuring a person providing protective presence and forcing farmers to leave. In the area between Al Masu’diya and Burqa (Nablus), settlers reportedly assaulted a farmer harvesting in Area A and seized six bags of olives.
Humanitarian partners continued supporting farmers through harvesting tools and machinery, volunteer harvesting campaigns, protective presence and accompaniment, and Cash for Protection assistance. However, settler violence and access restrictions continued to constrain the response, with assistance reaching only a limited number of farmers in most locations.
Flash floods affect Jordan Valley communities
| KEY FIGURES | |
|---|---|
| 37 | 7 |
| Palestinian households affected by flash floods | Bedouin communities affected in the northern Jordan Valley |
On 27 October, heavy rainfall and flash floods damaged residential and livestock shelters, household belongings and livestock fodder, affecting 37 Palestinian households across seven Bedouin communities in the northern Jordan Valley, in Tubas governorate, according to a rapid needs assessment by humanitarian partners. Shelter Cluster partners provided 195 bedding kits, 37 kitchen kits and five emergency tents, while WASH partners responded with 37 hygiene kits, two mobile latrines and two water storage tanks. Additional flooding impacts were reported in Aqbet Jaber Camp, other parts of Jericho governorate and refugee camps across the West Bank, where technical assessments were ongoing to inform potential longer-term WASH interventions.
On 29 October, the Israeli Jerusalem District Court issued an interim order prohibiting Israeli authorities from obstructing the repair and reconstruction of tents, residential shelters and livestock structures damaged or destroyed by the floods in Khirbet Mak-hul on 27 October. The order allows the restoration of affected structures in their original locations and dimensions. The flooding further exposed the vulnerability of Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley, where demolitions, settler violence and restrictions on construction and repairs compound displacement risks and hinder recovery.
Humanitarian response activities at a glance – West Bank
27 October - 2 November 2026 (unless otherwise specified)
Shelter: Partners reached 504 people (98 households), primarily through shelter repairs, non-food items and cash assistance in Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah governorates. In Hebron, partners supported local authorities in addressing emergency shelter needs following the Israeli forces’ operation, mainly through the distribution of blankets, mattresses and other essential household items.
Food Security: In Hebron city, partners provided approximately 500 food parcels for distribution by municipal teams following the Israeli operation. Elsewhere, partners provided agricultural livelihood support for the olive harvest, including harvesting tools and collective harvesting.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: In Hebron city, WASH Cluster partners distributed hundreds of family hygiene and menstrual hygiene kits, along with bottled drinking water, to families affected by the Israeli forces’ operation. In the northern Jordan Valley, partners provided 37 hygiene kits, two mobile latrines and two water storage tanks to flood-affected households across seven communities. In Masafer Yatta (Hebron), emergency water trucking remained suspended in four communities, affecting 975 people, while deliveries to six other communities continued at reduced frequency due to movement restrictions and settler attacks.
Health: As of October, 872 health service delivery points were reported as fully or partially functional (382 fully and 490 partially), while 22 were non-functional. Mobile health services continued in Area C, H2 and displacement-affected areas, with 227 mobile clinic locations supported by 13 mobile teams and 11 health partners. In Hebron governorate, as of 3 November, mobile clinic services remained suspended in 10 locations, while improved access enabled partners to resume services in several previously inaccessible areas. In response to the Israeli forces’ operation, one partner delivered emergency medical supplies to five hospitals and 25,992 units of normal saline to six hospitals in the southern West Bank, alongside 612 psychosocial support kits for children and 368 dignity kits for women affected by the operation.
Child Protection: Partners' puppet shows reached 2,020 children, while awareness activities on emergency preparedness and explosive hazards reached 2,840 students. In Nablus and surrounding communities, movement restrictions constrained service delivery, with partners conducting remote case management follow-up for 25 children and registering 14 new cases. Since the beginning of 2026, partners have provided case management and referral services to 1,613 children, including 533 children with disabilities, and cash-for-protection assistance to 372 children and caregivers across the West Bank.
Education: Following the Israeli forces’ operation in Hebron city, affected schools were inspected for hazardous remnants ahead of the planned resumption of in-person learning on 3 November.
Gaza Strip
The reporting period is 27 October to 2 November 2026 unless otherwise specified.
Israeli airstrikes, shooting and shelling continue to hit populated areas across the Gaza Strip, causing casualties, including among displaced people. On 3 November, small arms fire reportedly hit near an UN-contracted facility in Deir al Balah and a UN-organized convoy in Rafah. On the same day, gunfire hit and damaged multiple tents in a displacement site in northern Rafah, reportedly causing injuries and forcing an international non-governmental organization to leave the area, where it was working on flood control ahead of the winter rainy season.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which operates under the de-facto authorities, 36 Palestinians were reported killed and 145 injured between 27 October and 2 November, bringing the total number of reported casualties since the ceasefire agreement to 1,593 fatalities and 5,748 injuries. Another 18 fatalities were retroactively added to the total number after their identification details were approved by MoH.
According to the Logistics Cluster, 466 UN and partner trucks carrying humanitarian supplies were manifested for entry into Gaza between 26 October and 1 November. Of these, 397 were offloaded on the Israeli side of Kerem Shalom – 195 from Ashdod, 127 from Egypt and 28 from Jordan. Compared with the previous week, the number of trucks manifested fell by 28 per cent, while the proportion offloaded truckloads out of all those manifested declined by 5 per cent. Overall, partners have been progressively reporting declining humanitarian cargo available to ship due to funding constraints.
The resumption of commercial truck entry through Kerem Shalom after a temporary suspension reported in mid-October brought basic commodity prices back to early-October levels. The private sector collected 498 commercial truckloads into the Gaza Strip between 26 October and 1 November, according to Gaza Chamber of Commerce data shared with the Cash Working Group. Only six commercial trucks carried non-essential items, just over one per cent of the total.
On the evening of 1 November, Israeli authorities notified UN agencies that humanitarian and commercial shipments from Egypt would be suspended, with some exceptions, citing smuggling concerns. Humanitarian partners have raised concerns that if the suspension remains in place, prices and access to essential supplies could be affected. In particular, the Food Security Sector warns that the daily production and free distribution of cooked meals could reduce from approximately 600,000 to 330,000 and of bread from 280 to 259 metric tons as a result.
Shortages of engine oil threaten critical services
Shortages of engine oil and lubricants, spare parts and maintenance supplies for generators, engines and vehicles threaten service delivery across Gaza. The Israeli authorities continue to impose particularly tight restrictions on the entry of these and other critical items, including new generators. Additionally, all services depend heavily on regular, predictable fuel supplies, which require sustained funding until more sustainable power solutions can be implemented. These solutions depend on Israeli authorities granting permission to bring in solar panels, reconnect the electricity grid and restart the Gaza Power Plant.
Following are a few examples of services threatened by these shortages:
- Water and sanitation: Systems for pumping floodwater and sewage, particularly critical during the upcoming rainy season, are already failing. On 1 November, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility warned of cascading failures in Gaza’s water and sanitation systems.
- Health: Critical life-support systems as adult and neonatal ventilators could cease functioning, diagnostic and clinical services could be disrupted, cold-chain capacity compromised and ambulance services and other essential health transport interrupted.
- Sanitation: Trash collection capacity is already severely below solid waste production levels, as only 50 per cent of vehicles used to manage waste remain operational; pressures on the remaining vehicles are high. During the reporting period, a Palestinian was killed when sand collapsed on him as he dug a cesspit by hand in Gaza city because modular cesspit systems and materials needed to connect latrines to the nearest sewage network are largely unavailable.
Critical supply gaps undermine preparations for the cold and rainy season
The Shelter Cluster estimates that, as of 1 November, people in Gaza still needed approximately 121,000 tents, 561,000 tarpaulins, 57,000 emergency shelter kits (ESKs) and 1.7 million mattresses ahead of the cold and rainy season, alongside tens of thousands of other essential shelter and household items.
However, the Shelter Cluster’s ability to respond is hampered by severely depleted stocks in Gaza, which currently comprise approximately 2,800 tents, 76,000 tarpaulins, 4,993 mattresses, while no ESKs are available as the entry of timber continues being rejected by the Israeli authorities. Other essential items as winter blankets or toolkits are also in extremely short supply compared to the vastity of needs. Items procured but awaiting entry outside Gaza are equally limited, including approximately 2,000 tents, 71,000 tarpaulins, 3,100 ESKs and no mattresses.
Most items in the pipeline are still under ongoing or planned procurement; reported partner pipelines include approximately 59,000 tents, 703,000 tarpaulins, 13,000 ESKs and 33,000 mattresses, alongside other critical items. However, due to a combination of lack of, or limited funding, lengthy procurement processes, restrictions on entry and delayed approvals by the Israeli authorities, these supplies may not be procured and shipped until the second half of winter, making the next two months critical for meeting urgent winterization needs.
Even accounting for items currently under procurement and in the pipeline, a substantial funding gap of US$186.5 million remains against the total estimated winterization requirements of US$267.9 million, further compounded by ongoing challenges in securing approvals and facilitating the timely entry of shelter materials into Gaza.
The Education Cluster is also facing challenges in addressing foreseen winter-related needs, with at least 237 high-performance tents and 2,156 plastic tarpaulin sheets urgently required - but unavailable - to improve protection from adverse weather and support continuity of learning at functional temporary learning spaces. This is in addition to 12,343 school bags, 2,550 stationery kits, and 76 early childhood development kits which are needed to address gaps and support children’s participation in learning activities.
Stretched maternal services
Health Cluster has highlighted severe pressure on maternal and newborn health services. In September, neonatal unit occupancy reached 151 per cent and Special Care Baby Unit occupancy reached 199 per cent; nearly 63 per cent of deliveries were classified as high risk.
Ahead of the cold and rainy season, partners have procured postpartum kits including newborn warming items and the adaptation of dignity kits to include warm clothes for newborns. An estimated 123–179 additional neonatal beds are also required in the fourth quarter.
Humanitarian response activities at a glance – Gaza Strip
27 October – 2 November 2026 (unless otherwise specified)
Food Security: As of 2 November, 21 subsidized bakeries produced some 80,000 two-kilogram bread bundles daily, equivalent to around 280 metric tonnes of bread, while 17 commercial bakeries supported through a “fuel-only” model produced more than 90 metric tonnes per day. About 81 per cent of subsidized bakery production was sold through 149 contracted retailers at a reduced price, with the remainder distributed free of charge. As of 29 October, partners were preparing approximately 592,000 meals daily through 90 community kitchens and delivering them to 1,347 locations. During the October distribution cycle, partners assisted approximately 432,000 people through 28 distribution points with food parcels and wheat flour, covering about 50 per cent of minimum caloric requirements. Between 19 October and 3 November, partners completed animal feed distributions that reached 2,250 livestock herders and some 1,370 working-animal owners.
Education: Partners dispatched 164,530 school bags to 385 learning spaces.
Shelter and Site Management: Shelter partners assisted 13,316 households with shelter and non-food items, including the distribution of 791 tents, 821 relief housing units, 300 tarpaulins, 2,555 sealing-off kits, 1,855 kitchen sets, 300 bedding sets, 5,496 winter clothing kits and 4,222 blankets. Partners also distributed 56,389 plastic sheets, 11,354 ropes, 16,705 rolls of duct tape and 115,119 mats. Emergency sealing-off interventions were completed in 180 damaged housing units and 18 makeshift shelters. Site Management Cluster partners are mitigating flood risks, focusing on improving drainage and maintaining safe access during winter rains, including sandbagging in 503 sites and ground levelling.
Health: Partners supported continuity of sexual and reproductive health services across 10 health facilities through provision of essential medicines, reproductive health kits, medical consumables and equipment, including oxytocin, misoprostol, Anti-D immunoglobulin and other commodities required for maternity and emergency obstetric care. Some 107 patients, including 38 children, together with 119 companions, were medically evacuated from Gaza through Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings to Egypt and Jordan.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: Partners distributed 13,000 jerrycans, 11,800 kilograms of laundry powder, 10,000 tarpaulins, 8,000 buckets with tap, 3,100 hygiene kits, and 37 water tanks of 1,000 litres each.
Protection: Protection partners provided direct protection services to 6,554 people, including mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), case management, legal assistance, explosive ordnance risk education, disability inclusion support and community accountability activities. An additional 568 people received protection-sensitive and intersectoral assistance, including sexual and reproductive health services, menstrual hygiene management kits and women’s health activities. Partners also supported 171 returnees with psychological first aid, emergency assistance and referral services. Child protection partners reached over 4,435 children and 2,387 caregivers with MHPSS, and identified 196 new child protection cases, including 17 injured children and 20 unaccompanied and separated children, while continuing case management for 2,354 children with protection concerns. Emergency assistance included 1,180 autumn clothing vouchers for orphaned children and 465 winter kits for children. Community awareness activities reached 2,000 children and 919 caregivers and community members, while 100 adolescents participated in life-skills activities. Mine Action partners conducted 25 explosive hazard assessments, two quality management assessments and five emergency response missions. Between 25 and 29 October, 15,846 people attended sessions raising awareness to risks posed by explosive ordnance.
Joint Distributions | Emergency Response: Joint Distribution Consortium processed 12 incident appeals affecting 71 households across Gaza. The reported incidents included 10 airstrikes affecting 66 households, one displacement incident affecting four households, and one accidental fire incident affecting one household. Based on rapid assessments, 38 households were classified as high-need, 22 as medium-need, and 11 as low-need. Assistance was prioritized according to the type of incident, level of damage, and assessed household needs.
** Double asterisks indicate that a figure, sentence, or section has been rectified, added, or retracted after the initial publication of this update.
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