Fire risks mount in Gaza displacement shelters – OCHA press release

20 February 2026

OCHA reports that families continue to live in overcrowded shelters, which pose severe fire risks. Families cook, sleep and store their belongings in small spaces where they also use open fire – since November 2025, our partners have recorded at least 12 fires in these shelters.

In the ten days leading up to 17 February, humanitarians provided shelter assistance to 85 families in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis whose shelters were damaged by a fire in Gaza city.

Partners have been raising fire safety awareness among displaced families to reduce the risk.

Displaced families need adequate shelter to protect them from the elements and provide more privacy. Humanitarian partners reiterate the urgent need to move towards more sustainable solutions.

In many areas within Gaza, humanitarian movements still require coordination with Israeli authorities. Of 67 movements coordinated between 12 and 19 February, 43 were approved and nine were denied outright. Eight missions were approved but faced impediments, of which six were fully accomplished. Organizers cancelled seven other missions for operational and security reasons.

Humanitarian partners coordinated the entry of fuel, medical supplies, animal fodder and hygiene kits into Gaza. Teams also facilitated the medical evacuation of patients through Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.

In the West Bank, OCHA warns of the continued violence and other coercive practices by Israeli forces and settler communities resulting in casualties, destruction of property and displacement.

Between 3 and 16 February, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, bringing the total number this year to nine, including two children. Palestinian security forces killed one Palestinian child in Tammoun, while attempting to arrest his father.

During the same period, at least 86 Israeli settler attacks were recorded, during which over 60 Palestinians were injured, and some 146 people were displaced. People in 60 communities were affected by the attacks.

Overall, since January 2023, and as of 16 February 2026, some 880 Palestinian families – over 4,700 people – have been displaced across the West Bank due to settler attacks and access restrictions.