OCHA: Humanitarians in Gaza work to address toll of winter storms

23 December 2025

OCHA reports that the UN and its partners in the Gaza Strip continue to respond to the mounting needs of displaced families and to mitigate the impact of recent winter storms, which have further worsened conditions for thousands of people across the Strip.

However, partners report that despite these efforts, the humanitarian response has been unable to keep pace with the scale of needs due to ongoing restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities, including on the entry of supplies into Gaza.

For example, shortages of new materials are complicating efforts to maintain and repair Gaza city’s sewage networks, with teams having to use old components.

Meanwhile, partners leading on water and sanitation services report that efforts are underway to improve water purification capacity at the Al Bassa Desalination Plant in Deir al Balah by transferring specialized equipment to the facility. In Gaza city, installation of the Al Manshia Desalination Plant has begun.

In the West Bank, OCHA warns that ongoing operations by Israeli forces and settler violence continue to put Palestinians at risk and deepen humanitarian needs.

Over the past two weeks, OCHA has documented further incidents resulting in the killing and injury of Palestinians. Between 9 December and yesterday, six Palestinians were killed, including five by Israeli forces and one by an Israeli settler. Of the total, four were children. Three Israelis were injured by Palestinians during the same period.

OCHA is also deeply concerned by the ongoing displacement of Palestinians across the West Bank, with over 100 Palestinians displaced due to demolitions and evictions over the past two weeks, including 63 in East Jerusalem and the rest in Area C.

This includes 50 people – among them 21 children – displaced in a single Israeli demolition of a four-story building in the Silwan neighbourhood on 22 December for lacking an Israeli-issued building permit, which is nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain.