Gaza Herald — United Nations agencies have warned that Israel’s continued expansion of areas under its military control in the Gaza Strip since the October 2025 ceasefire has significantly increased risks to civilians while further restricting humanitarian operations across the besieged territory.
Speaking at the UN’s daily press briefing, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said UN human rights teams documented the deaths of 196 Palestinians, including 18 women and 43 children, in Israeli attacks carried out near areas where Israeli forces were deployed between October 10, 2025, and April 2026.
The UN Country Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory warned that the steady expansion of Israeli-controlled zones has forced Palestinians into increasingly smaller areas, leaving civilians trapped in overcrowded locations with deteriorating security conditions and severely limited access to essential services.
According to the UN, many Palestinians have been killed while attempting to move through areas lacking clearly marked boundaries on the ground, exposing civilians to constant danger as military-controlled zones continue to expand.
The UN called for humanitarian assistance to be allowed to reach all parts of Gaza safely, rapidly, and without obstruction, stressing that unrestricted access remains essential to addressing the worsening humanitarian emergency.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund reported that humanitarian partners temporarily restored operations at wastewater infrastructure serving Gaza City this week, allowing sewage pumping to resume for the first time in nearly two years.
Dujarric described the development as an important step toward reducing public health risks, noting that humanitarian organizations estimate more than 80 percent of households across Gaza continue to lack access to safe and hygienic sanitation facilities.
UN Delegation Visits East Jerusalem
Separately, the UN said Rames Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, led a field visit on Tuesday involving more than 20 diplomats to communities in the Jerusalem governorate affected by home demolitions, forced evictions, displacement threats, movement restrictions, and other long-standing humanitarian concerns.
During the visit to Augusta Victoria Hospital, Alakbarov emphasized the importance of sustained international engagement in East Jerusalem and highlighted the hospital’s critical role in providing specialized healthcare services to Palestinians.
According to UN officials, approximately 360 Palestinians have been displaced and more than 150 buildings and structures have been demolished in East Jerusalem since the beginning of 2026, underscoring the continuing humanitarian challenges facing Palestinian communities in the occupied city.
