UNRWA Situation Report #159 on Crisis in Gaza and West Bank

UNRWA teams providing sanitation services in northern Gaza, February 2025. © 2025 UNRWA Photo

Highlights

• Thousands of trucks – including over 1,750 UNRWA trucks – carrying essential humanitarian aid have crossed into the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire entered into effect on 19 January (numbers above valid until 9 February).

• Since the start of the ceasefire, it is estimated that UNRWA teams have reached over 1.5 million people with critical food assistance.

• Since the ceasefire until 9 February 2025, UNRWA health teams have provided over 226,000 health consultations, care for more than 14,000 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk, dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics reaching over 8,850 patients, and physiotherapy rehabilitation services for nearly 4,350 patients.

Key points

The Gaza Strip

• On 7 February, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini posted on X (previously known as Twitter) that, since the war started, “people in Gaza have undergone systematic dehumanization,” reiterating that the rights, lives, and futures of Palestinians matter and highlighting that human rights cannot be applied selectively.

• On 8 February, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the fifth release of hostages and detainees as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal. OCHA reported that three hostages were transferred out of Gaza to Israel, and 183 Palestinian detainees were released from Israeli detention centres. Palestinian detainees included 111 people who were detained from the Gaza Strip after 7 October 2023 and seven detainees who were released to Egypt.

• On 9 February, as part of the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israeli Forces completed their withdrawal from the Netzarim corridor. The following day, they announced that the movement of people on foot via Salah Al Deen Road would be permitted and the movement of vehicles northward on the same road would continue to be subjected to inspection. They reiterated that residents are warned not to approach all areas where Israeli Forces are deployed, the Rafah Crossing area, the Philadelphi Corridor, the “buffer zone,” or the maritime area.

• The Site Management Working Group (SMWG), co-led by UNRWA, reported that, since the Israeli Forces withdrew from parts of the Netzarim corridor on 27 January until 6 February, more than 586,000 people were estimated to have crossed to the north, while over 56,000 were estimated to have moved southward.

• On 6 February, the Protection Cluster reported that, with 92 per cent of Gaza homes having been damaged or destroyed according to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MoPWH), the acute shelter crisis compounds the challenges Palestinians face in meeting basic needs, including food security. According to the Protection Cluster, women and children are disproportionately affected, with rising incidents of violence, deprivation, lack of privacy, and exploitation in the absence of secure shelter.

• Thousands of humanitarian trucks – including over 1,750 UNRWA trucks – carrying essential food supplies, shelter items, and medicines have crossed into the Gaza Strip since the start of the ceasefire until 9 February, enabling a significant expansion of the humanitarian response.

• The UN is mobilising on average 600 trucks a day and distributing aid to people in urgent need. This is presenting operational challenges, including due to reduced warehousing capacity and destroyed infrastructure – among them UNRWA facilities. Thanks to its footprint and extensive staff presence across the Gaza Strip, UNRWA is pivotal in this scale-up of aid distributions within Gaza. The UN will continue to advocate for an increase of commercial sector activity, to reduce the dependency of people on humanitarian handouts. As of 9 February, UNRWA had the equivalent of around 5,900 trucks of aid in different locations (outside of Gaza) ready to be delivered to the Gaza Strip.

• UNRWA teams are on the ground to deliver aid and provide services to a population overwhelmed by 15 months of constant bombardment, forced displacement, and lack of critical resources. Since the start of the ceasefire up to 8 February, it is estimated that UNRWA teams have already reached more than 1.5 million people with food parcels and have enough in the pipeline to reach the rest of Gaza’s population.

• UNRWA runs 120 shelters across the Gaza Strip, with around 120,000 living there. Since the ceasefire, UNRWA has opened 37 new Designated Emergency Shelters (DESs), including seven in Gaza City and 30 in North Gaza. Over 9,500 UNRWA tents have already entered the Gaza Strip, with thousands more in the pipeline.

• Since the ceasefire came into force, thousands of families across the five Governorates have received non-food items, including blankets, mattresses, floor mats, clothes, kitchen items, and tarpaulins.

• In January, UNRWA teams reached 57,000 families (or over 377,000 people) with shelter supplies and non-food items, including tents. Of these, over 43,000 families (or over 314,000 people) were reached after the ceasefire started. This includes the distribution of tents to 1,132 families (or 5,592 displaced people).

• UNRWA teams continue to provide psychosocial support services and primary health consultations wherever possible.  Since the start of the ceasefire until 9 February 2025, UNRWA health teams have provided over 226,000 health consultations, care for more than 14,000 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk, dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics reaching over 8,850 patients, and physiotherapy rehabilitation services for nearly 4,350 patients.

• Since the ceasefire came into force and until 11 February, UNRWA has reopened one of its health centres in Gaza City and has established new medical points to expand people’s access to health services throughout the Gaza Strip.

• According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people – or about 90 per cent of the population – across the Gaza Strip were displaced during the war. Many have been displaced repeatedly, some 10 times or more. Since the start of the ceasefire, new population movements have been reported, with people trying to return to whatever is left of their homes. Most homes (92 per cent according to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MoPWH)) have been either severely damaged or destroyed.

• Between 7 October 2023 and 11 February 2025, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, as stated by OCHA, at least 48,219 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Gaza and 111,665 have been injured.

• OCHA reports that, the MoH in Gaza published the breakdown of 40,717 out of 42,010 fatalities as of 7 October 2024. These reportedly include 13,319 children, 7,216 women, 3,447 elderly, and 16,735 men. Among the child fatalities, 786 children are under one year of age, representing about 6 per cent of killed children whose full identification details have been documented, the MoH further reported. Additionally, as of 7 October 2024, the MoH noted that 35,055 children had lost one or both parents over the past year.

• The total number of UNRWA team members killed since 7 October 2023 is 273.

The occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem

• According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 9 February 2025, 876 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Of those, 498 Palestinians were killed in 2024.

• The Israeli Forces large-scale operation that started in Jenin Camp on 21 January 2025 is now the single longest Israeli Forces operation in the West Bank since the second intifada in the 2000s.

• The ongoing operation caused widespread forced displacement from four Palestine Refugee camps in the northern West Bank: Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur Shams and El Far’a. Jenin Camp is reportedly almost completely emptied of residents, with thousands displaced from Tulkarm, Nur Shams and El Far’a refugee camps. UNRWA services inside the affected camps are fully suspended; however, UNRWA is providing emergency assistance to displaced families outside the camps where the security situation permits.  

• The Israeli Forces continue to deploy advanced weaponry and militarised tactics as part of the operation. Between 3 and 9 February, 17 Israeli Forces airstrikes were recorded, predominantly targeting Jenin Camp and the town of Tammun.

• On 4 February, two Israeli Forces personnel were reportedly killed and another eight injured when a Palestinian allegedly opened fire at them at a military post near Tayasir in the northern West Bank. The alleged assailant was shot and killed at the scene by Israeli Forces.

• As part of the Palestinian detainees release associated with the Gaza ceasefire deal, 45 Palestinian residents of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, were released from Israeli detention in Ofer Prison in Beituniya on 8 February.

Overall situation

The Gaza Strip

• Between 7 October 2023 and 11 February 2025, according to the MoH in Gaza as stated by OCHA, at least 48,219 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in the Gaza Strip while 111,665 have been reported injured.

|    Humanitarian access and protection of civilians

As of 30 January 2025, 786* incidents impacting UNRWA premises and the people inside them have been reported since the beginning of the war. 310* UNRWA installations have been impacted by armed conflict-related incidents since the beginning of the war, some on multiple occasions. UNRWA estimates that, in total, at least 738* persons sheltering in UNRWA installations have been killed and at least 2,401* injured since the start of the war. UNRWA continues to verify and update the number of casualties caused by these incidents.

* Since the start of the war in October 2023, the latest casualty figures are continuously under review as UNRWA gains access to locations that were previously inaccessible and as further verifications occur. The summary figures will be published/updated as information becomes available, noting that these numbers are subject to change once verifications are concluded.

UNRWA response

The Gaza Strip

Health

• According to the Health Cluster, UNRWA remains one of the largest health actors operating in the Gaza Strip, contributing to over half of the people reached with health services since 7 October 2023. Between 7 October 2023 and 26 January 2025, UNRWA provided over 7.4 million medical consultations across the Gaza Strip.

• In addition to medical consultations, UNRWA (in partnership with and supported by other UN agencies, including UNICEF and WHO) continues to immunize children. Over 245,000 routine vaccines have been administered to children from January 2024. In addition, around 560,000 children under the age of 10 across the Gaza Strip have been vaccinated against polio.

• Since the start of the ceasefire until 9 February 2025, UNRWA health teams have provided over 226,000 health consultations, care for more than 14,000 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk, dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics reaching over 8,850 patients, and physiotherapy rehabilitation services for nearly 4,350 patients.

• As of 10 February, only four out of 22 UNRWA health centres and four additional UNRWA-rented facilities used as temporary health centres were operational in Gaza. Health services are also provided through 117 mobile medical teams working in 54 medical points inside and outside shelters in the middle area, Khan Younis, Al Mawasi and Gaza City. UNRWA health facilities provide primary health care, including outpatient services, non-communicable disease care, giving out medications, vaccination, antenatal and postnatal health care, laboratory and dental services, physiotherapy and dressings for the injured. The number of operational health facilities changes constantly based on demand, access and security.

• Between 3 and 9 February, an average of 1,050 UNRWA health staff worked in health centres, temporary clinics and medical points across the Gaza Strip, providing 69,800 health consultations during the reporting period.

• UNRWA continued to provide mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services in the middle and Khan Younis areas, with teams of psychiatrists, psychosocial counsellors and supervisors to assist special cases referred from UNRWA health centres and shelters. Between 3 and 9 February, UNRWA teams responded to 3,366 cases in health centres and at medical points through individual consultations, awareness sessions and to address cases of gender-based violence (GBV).  

• Between 3 and 9 February, UNRWA medical teams provided care for 4,303 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk.

• Between 3 and 9 February, UNRWA teams provided dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics, reaching 2,846 patients.

• Between 3 and 9 February, 1,322 patients received physiotherapy rehabilitation services in health centres and medical points.

• Since the ceasefire started and until 4 February, UNRWA health teams have received over 400 pallets of medical supplies including medicines, laboratory and dental supplies, and enough insulin syringes for over 17,000 people for eight months. Most of these supplies will cover UNRWA Health services for two months, and some up to eight months.

Psychosocial Support and Learning

• UNRWA remains the largest provider of emergency learning and psychosocial support (PSS) across the Gaza Strip. Around 660,000 children are out of school due to the war. On 1 August 2024, UNRWA began its first phase response of “Back to Learning” with a focus on mental health activities. This is taking place in 86 Temporary Learning Spaces in 40 UNRWA schools-turned-shelters[2], with the support of over 900 teachers and up to 600[3] school counsellors. More than 18,000 children, over half of them girls, have benefited from UNRWA’s “Back to Learning” programme so far. Between 3 and 9 February 2025, 3,627 children (1,244 boys, 2,383 girls, including 111 children with disabilities) participated in basic literacy and numeracy activities, PSS sessions and recreational activities including arts, music and sports.

• UNRWA continues to provide lifesaving PSS services in Gaza, including psychological first aid, individual and group counselling, fatigue management sessions, recreational activities, Explosive Ordinance Risk Education and protection cash assistance, reaching children, youth and adults.

• Since the onset of the war and up to 9 February 2025, around 730,000 displaced people, including over 520,000 children, have benefited from 283,899 PSS sessions and activities. Between 3 and 9 February, a total of 10,907 displaced people accessed these services.

• Between 7 October 2023 and 9 February 2025, UNRWA’s social work team has provided services to 207,344 displaced people, including psychological first aid, PSS services, family and individual activities, as well as case management. During the same reporting period, protection services were provided to 1,898 survivors of GBV and 3,162 children, including 1,604 unaccompanied children, covering reunification, cash assistance, safe sheltering, medication, dignity kits and non-food items through referrals. The team also supported 22,728 persons with disabilities with PSS; 7,753 of these individuals received assistive devices and rehabilitation services. Awareness sessions on GBV, child protection, disability and special needs, as well as managing social and psychological stressors, were conducted for 153,742 displaced people.

Food Security

• Since the start of the war, over 388,000 families (nearly 1.9 million people) have been reached with two rounds of flour; at least 374,000 of those families have received three rounds.

• UNRWA continues to distribute food parcels wherever possible. These include[4] rice, lentils, beans, oil, salt, sugar, milk powder, hummus, halawa, yeast, and canned fish, and are designed to meet the needs of a family of five for two weeks. To date, at least 1.69 million people have been reached, of whom at least 215,000 people have received two rounds of food parcels since the war started.

• In addition to the distribution of UNRWA food parcels, the Agency distributes food parcels on behalf of other UN organisations, reaching over 1.4 million people.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

• Since October 2023, UNRWA has carried out emergency WASH activities across the Gaza Strip.  The main activities include operating and maintaining water wells and desalination systems and supplying water with water trucks and bottled water. In addition, UNRWA continues to distribute hygiene kits and maintain hygiene in UNRWA shelters and sites by providing cleaning supplies, community-based solid waste management and pest control.

• UNRWA continues to be one of the largest WASH actors in the Gaza Strip. Between August and mid-November 2024, UNRWA accounted for around 44 per cent of water, sanitation and hygiene activities reported in the Gaza Strip, Including access to water (56 per cent), access to sanitation and solid waste management (42 per cent), and flood mitigation and prevention (66 per cent).

• Since the start of the ceasefire, UNRWA has worked tirelessly to reach hundreds of thousands of people with WASH services. UNRWA teams rehabilitated a water well in Jabalia that is now serving around 25,000 people in the area.

• Since the start of the ceasefire and until 4 February, UNRWA has reached nearly 475,000 people with clean water. Over the same period, UNRWA has collected over 3,400 tons of solid waste. Following the ceasefire, UNRWA teams distributed over 240 cleaning kits and 1,200 hygiene kits in the north.

- UNRWA