Humanitarian Situation Update #331 | Gaza Strip

The Humanitarian Situation Updates on the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank are both issued every Wednesday/Thursday. The Gaza Humanitarian Response Update is issued every other Wednesday. The next Humanitarian Situation Update on the Gaza Strip will be published on 22 or 23 October.

Key Highlights

• A ceasefire came into effect in Gaza at noon on 10 October, and ICRC facilitated the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees and the transfer of bodies on 13 and 14 October.
• The UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher outlined a 60-day plan to deliver vital aid to people in Gaza, stressing that full implementation requires more crossings, rapid and unimpeded access, sustained fuel entry, restored infrastructure, protection of aid workers, and adequate funding.
• The ceasefire has allowed many humanitarian partners to gradually resume operations in areas that were previously inaccessible and begin scaling up the delivery of humanitarian aid and services.
• More than 390,000 movements of people were observed since 10 October, mainly from southern to northern Gaza, the Site Management Cluster reports.

Context Overview

• On 8 October, an agreement was announced to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. According to the Israeli military, the ceasefire agreement came into effect at noon on 10 October and Israeli forces redeployed along new operational lines in accordance with the agreement. On 10 and 14 October, the Israeli military stated that the movement of people from southern to northern Gaza was permitted via Al Rashid and Salah ad Din roads. It warned that it is dangerous for people to approach areas where Israeli forces remain deployed, including Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Ash Shuja’iyyeh in northern Gaza, the Rafah Crossing, the Philadelphi Corridor, and where Israeli forces remain positioned in Khan Younis. On 10 October, the military cautioned that there is a high risk associated with fishing, swimming, or diving along the Gaza coastline, and warned of entering the sea in the coming days.
• On 13 October, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the return of 20 Israeli hostages to Israeli authorities and 1,809 Palestinian detainees to Gaza and the West Bank, and the transfer of four deceased hostages to Israeli authorities. In total, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, 1,968 Palestinian detainees were released from Israeli detention centres; this figure includes the 1,809 detainees whose release was facilitated by ICRC. On 14 October, ICRC facilitated the transfer of four additional bodies from Gaza to Israeli authorities and the transfer of 45 deceased Palestinians to Gaza. On 15 October, the Ministry of Health in Gaza stated that it received the bodies of 45 Palestinians released by the Israeli authorities through the ICRC, bringing the total number of received bodies to 90. On 15 October, the Israeli military reported that the National Institute of Forensic Medicine concluded that only three of the four bodies were deceased hostages.
• In a statement on 13 October, the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General welcomed the continued implementation of the ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinians detainees. With the ceasefire in effect, he noted that the UN and its partners are rapidly scaling up operations and reaching people in areas that had been cut off for months, underscoring that the needs are vast and sustained access and funding are critical. Earlier, a number of humanitarian organizations issued statements welcoming the ceasefire announcement and urging full, unhindered and sustained access for humanitarian workers and supplies to enable the safe delivery of aid at scale to people in need. The ICRC, NRC, Save the Children, and Plan International all expressed hope that the pause in hostilities would mark a turning point toward a lasting and definitive ceasefire.
• On 9 October, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, outlined a 60-day plan to deliver vital aid to people in Gaza, noting that supplies and staff are in place. The plan entails reaching 2.1 million people with food assistance and 500,000 with nutrition support through in-kind rations, cash assistance, and livelihood restoration. It aims to revive Gaza’s health system, delivering essential medical supplies, supporting evacuations, and expanding emergency, maternal, and mental health care. Water and sanitation services will reach 1.4 million people through the restoration of water networks, repair of sewage systems, and provision of hygiene items. A massive shelter scale-up will help displaced families prepare for winter, while education support will provide temporary learning spaces and materials for 700,000 children. The UN Relief Chief further highlighted essential requirements for an effective humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, including: the sustained entry of at least 1.9 million litres of fuel weekly; the resumption of cooking gas entry*; the opening of multiple relief corridors supported by functional crossings equipped with additional scanners; security guarantees to enable the collection of supplies from crossings; restoration of basic infrastructure; protection of humanitarian workers; rapid and unimpeded passage of aid across Gaza; and adequate funding. He additionally stressed that the UN cannot operate effectively without its partners, noting that facilitation of NGO access is crucial, including through ensuring that NGOs are not de-registered.
• According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, between 8 and 15 October, 68 Palestinians were killed, and 328 were injured, and 347 bodies were recovered. This brings the casualty toll among Palestinians since 7 October 2023, as reported by MoH, to 67,938 fatalities and 170,169 injuries. According to MoH, the total number includes 320 fatalities who were retroactively added on 11 October 2025 after their identification details were approved by a ministerial committee. MoH further noted that, as of 10 October, the number of casualties among people who were trying to access aid supplies reached 2,615 fatalities and more than 19,182 injuries. According to MoH in Gaza, as of 11 October, 463 malnutrition-related deaths, including 157 children, were documented since October 2023.
• According to the Israeli military, between 8 and 15 October, two Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the casualty toll among Israeli soldiers since the beginning of the Israeli ground operation in October 2023 to 468 fatalities and 2,967 injuries. According to Israeli forces and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,668 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. As of noon on 15 October 2025, it is estimated that the bodies of 21 deceased Israeli hostages remain in the Gaza Strip.
• In a statement on 15 October, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) highlighted ongoing risks to civilians in the Gaza Strip, including due to unlawful conduct by Palestinian armed groups, intensification of internal armed clashes, extrajudicial executions, and the killing of civilians around Israeli military redeployment lines. In one incident on 13 October, OHCHR reported that published video footage apparently showed the public summary execution of eight blindfolded and handcuffed men from the same family in Gaza city. Moreover, since 10 October, OHCHR has recorded 15 Palestinians killed in cases where they were reportedly in close proximity to, or crossed the “withdrawal line,” noting that the Israeli military maintains control of more than 50 per cent of the Gaza Strip, including almost all of Rafah and large parts of Khan Younis, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, as well as parts of Gaza city.
• Between 10 and 14 October, more than 392,000 movements of people were recorded by Site Management Cluster (SMC) partners, primarily through Al Rashid Road. According to the SMC, most movements (93 per cent) occurred from southern to northern Gaza, mainly of single men without belongings, and more than 22,000 movements were recorded from western to eastern Khan Younis. SMC partners reported movements from northern to southern Gaza, as people reportedly returned after checking their damaged homes or due to limited availability of services.
• The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) recently estimated, based on satellite imagery collected on 8 July 2025, that widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip has generated more than 61 million tons of debris. This is equivalent to about 169 kilogrammes of debris for every square metre. UNEP noted that field validation of these estimates is essential to inform the development of a comprehensive debris management plan for the Gaza Strip. The estimate does not include the impact of the most recent military operations in Gaza city in August and September 2025. According to the Gaza Debris Management Working Group, co-chaired by UNEP and UNDP, debris removal is critical in this period following the ceasefire as it enables the reopening of blocked roads, facilitates the movement of people and goods, reduces potential hazards, and supports the resumption of essential services and the delivery of humanitarian aid. High levels of debris carry a specific risk for people with disabilities, creating a significant impediment for those with mobility issues to access services and humanitarian aid and for outreach services to be provided. Debris and rubble removal is complicated by explosive ordnance contamination and asbestos, which require attention to facilitate the dignified management and documentation of the many thousands of bodies estimated to be buried under the rubble, the Gaza Debris Management Working Group highlights. According to the Debris Management Working Group, debris removal is a key component of the enabling environment for humanitarian response and recovery, and necessitates the sustained entry of heavy machinery, spare parts, reliable and stable supplies of fuel, and access to land appropriate for debris storage and processing.

Humanitarian Access and Operations

• After the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October, the UN and its partners offloaded aid supplies from Gaza’s crossings on 10, 12 and 15 October. The crossings were closed for cargo offloading on 13 October with priority given to the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees, and on 14 October for the Jewish holiday. Through the UN 2720 mechanism and via UN Logistics Cluster coordination, only 15 humanitarian partners are currently authorized by Israeli authorities to bring into Gaza aid trucks carrying food, hygiene, shelter and health supplies. The UN 2720 mechanism reports a possible reduction in the rate of interception of supplies collected by the UN and its partners from Gaza’s crossings, from the previous 80-per-cent interception rate documented between 19 May ad 9 October. As of 14 October, according to the UN 2720 mechanism, 190,000 metric tons (MT) of aid are in the pipeline after being approved and cleared by the Israeli authorities. These supplies are positioned across the region, including Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, and the West Bank, and are ready for dispatch, with some shipments already on the way to Gaza, as daily deliveries continue. Government-to-Government convoys from Jordan have not restarted since 18 September, when two Israeli soldiers were killed at Allenby Bridge by a Jordanian truck driver transporting cargo for the Gaza Strip.
• Between 7 and 12 October, out of 94 attempts to coordinate planned movements with Israeli authorities across the Gaza Strip, 50 (53 per cent) were facilitated, 18 (19 per cent) were impeded, 19 (20 per cent) were denied, and seven (7 per cent) were withdrawn by organizers for logistical, operational, or security reasons. As of 13 October, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of the Gaza Strip under the ceasefire agreement, coordination requests for humanitarian movements within these areas are no longer required. Coordination with Israeli authorities continues to be required for convoy movements to Gaza’s crossings as well as other areas that remain under Israeli military control. On 13 and 14 October, coordination requests by aid organizations to collect cargo from the two operational crossings (Kerem Shalom and Kissufim) were largely facilitated by Israeli authorities; out of 11 missions, six were facilitated, four were cancelled, one was impeded, and none were denied.
• On 14 October, a joint mission led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, including the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), and MoH was conducted to reallocate intensive care unit equipment, mechanical ventilators, incubators and anti-cancer medications from the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis, which remains non-functional, to Nasser Medical Complex, also in Khan Younis. According to the Health Cluster, the priority is currently to reallocate functional equipment and supplies to already functional health facilities, where they are critically needed.
• The ceasefire has allowed many humanitarian partners to gradually resume operations in areas that were previously inaccessible. For example, at least nine partners providing protection services and support have gradually resumed services in Gaza city and parts of North Gaza to reach displaced families and returnees, providing inter alia child protection case management, mental health and psycho-social support for children and caregivers, conducting community awareness sessions, and distributing assistive devices to people with disabilities. Four child-friendly spaces and three women and girls’ safe spaces (WGSS) have re-opened in recent days, bringing the overall number of these spaces across the Gaza Strip to 61 child-friendly spaces and 32 WGSS. The Protection Cluster has mobilized safeguarding teams from the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) network and emergency protection responders to address protection concerns across the Strip. Protection partners are prioritizing the most vulnerable groups and coordinating field movements, toward strengthening coordination for return movements, expanding access to psychosocial support, and ensuring the continuity of legal assistance and civil documentation services. The Cluster is also enhancing protection monitoring efforts to safeguard the safety, dignity, and rights of returnees and displaced people and reinforcing peer-support mechanisms to sustain morale and operational continuity.
• The widespread presence of explosive ordnance (EO) continues to pose life-threatening risks to people across Gaza. According to data from the Mine Action (MA) Area of Responsibility (AoR), since 7 October 2023, 147 EO-related incidents have been recorded, resulting in 324 fatalities, including 91 children. Based on trends observed during the 42-day ceasefire earlier this year, this figure is expected to increase further as people return to damaged buildings and previously inaccessible areas, MA partners report. This underscores the urgent need to scale up EO risk education efforts and ensure improved access for MA partners to conduct the full spectrum of essential mine action activities, including EO clearance, which requires specialized personnel and equipment. As Mine Action is both a life-saving intervention and a critical enabler of wider humanitarian response, MA partners are scaling up operations across the Gaza Strip to ensure that civilian infrastructure can be repaired and schools and health facilities can be safely re-opened. Since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October, MA partners have responded to five requests for explosive hazard assessments, supported 16 inter-agency missions, and delivered risk education sessions to about 11,000 people across the Gaza Strip.
• As of 13 October, 949,000 meals were prepared and delivered by 21 partners through 176 kitchens; these include 59,000 meals by 12 kitchens in northern Gaza and 890,000 meals by 164 kitchens in central and southern Gaza. Since 12 October, and for the first time in seven months, a limited amount of cooking gas has begun to enter the Gaza Strip. Owing to renewed access, partners are working to expand back operations in northern Gaza*, including by re-opening offices and facilities where feasible, and preparing to scale up overall food security response efforts to reach people across the Gaza Strip.
• Since 10 October, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) partners have continued and reprogrammed water delivery operations across the Gaza Strip. In Gaza governorate, 15 partners are currently delivering about 2,980 cubic metres of water per day across 351 collection points. To support operations in newly accessible areas, water trucks have been relocated from southern to northern Gaza, where water delivery has expanded. Overall, water is now being distributed at 1,440 collection points across the Strip – an increase from about 1,200 points recorded a week before the ceasefire. Partners are providing water to people on the move along Al Rashid and Salah ad Din roads. Infrastructure repairs are underway at key sites, including the Sheikh Radwan Basin pumping station in Gaza city, the Mekorot water line in the north, and the Al Satar well in Khan Younis. Waste management activities have expanded, with an additional 400 cubic metres of waste collected daily in North Gaza since 12 October, and ongoing primary and secondary waste collection in the south.
• Following the ceasefire, Education Cluster partners have begun to scale up non-formal education in temporary learning spaces (TLS) across the Gaza Strip. These efforts are designed to ensure continuity of learning by providing additional safe areas, as most schools have been damaged or continue to host displaced families. In the last few days, TLS are being established across 18 new sites, primarily within government schools located in the municipalities of Al Qarara and Khan Younis Camp (in Khan Younis) and Deir al Balah city and An Nuseirat (in Deir al Balah). To support this effort, 36 high-performance tents have been dispatched and are being installed to serve as alternative learning spaces for students.

Funding

• As of 15 October 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately US$1.3 billion out of the $4 billion (31 per cent) requested to meet the most critical humanitarian needs of three million out of 3.3 million people identified as requiring assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem under the 2025 Flash Appeal for the OPT. Nearly 88 per cent of the requested funds are for humanitarian responses in Gaza, with just over 12 per cent for the West Bank. During September 2025, the oPt Humanitarian Fund managed 95 ongoing projects, totalling $57.1 million, to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (87 per cent) and the West Bank (13 per cent). Of these projects, 43 are being implemented by INGOs, 38 by national NGOs and 14 by UN agencies. Notably, 32 out of the 57 projects implemented by INGOs or the UN are being implemented in collaboration with national NGOs. For more information, please see OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service webpage and the oPt HF webpage.