OCHA update: Hundreds of families displaced amid ongoing hostilities in northern Gaza

01 July 2025

OCHA warns that deadly hostilities continue to increase the suffering of civilians in Gaza, driving additional displacement.

Military operations have further intensified in northern Gaza since the issuance of the displacement order on Sunday by the Israeli authorities. In the time since that directive was announced, partners on the ground say that at least 1,500 families have been displaced from North Gaza, as well as eastern parts of Gaza governorate, towards the central and western parts of Gaza governorate.

Over the past 48 hours, five school buildings sheltering displaced families in North Gaza were reportedly hit, with deaths and injuries reported.

Initial assessments by partners indicate that many families who fled from the schools that were hit have returned to North Gaza, largely due to the lack of alternatives and limited shelter space elsewhere.

Healthcare also continues to come under attack. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that in central Gaza yesterday, a tent sheltering displaced people in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital, in Deir al Balah, was reportedly hit, injuring five people. The agency added that the hospital’s internal medicine department also sustained some damage, and its oxygen supply line was affected.

Since October 2023, WHO has documented 734 attacks on healthcare in Gaza. WHO reiterated its call for the protection of civilians and healthcare facilities, noting that ongoing attacks on healthcare and continued hostilities near hospitals are fueling fear among already traumatized communities and placing further strain on facilities struggling to cope.

OCHA reiterates that under international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, not targeted.

Regarding aid operations on the ground, OCHA warns that movement restrictions remain a major challenge, preventing partners from predictably and sustainably providing critical services and assistance.

Yesterday, only eight out of 15 attempts to coordinate humanitarian movements inside Gaza were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, including to remove debris. Three other missions were denied outright, while two missions were impeded and two others had to be cancelled due to security or logistical challenges.

As humanitarian assistance and basic services dwindle, people in Gaza are being increasingly deprived of the means for their survival. This is a red flag that demands urgent action to secure the opening of all crossings and facilitation of all humanitarian operations, including meaningful flows of necessary life-saving supplies.

OCHA warns that fuel supplies are fast running out – with devastating consequences for civilians. Today, the Ministry of Health reported that Al-Shifa Medical Complex has suspended its kidney dialysis services due to fuel shortages, and that intensive care services will be limited to a few hours each day.

Ensuring sustained access to fuel is essential to avoid a collapse of the logistics backbone underpinning the humanitarian response. No fuel has entered Gaza since the ceasefire over 17 weeks ago, and as available stocks are depleted, OCHA warns that more life-saving and life-sustaining facilities could also shut down very soon.

In a social media post, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the window to push back starvation in Gaza is closing fast. The agency added that its teams are adapting in real time – setting up new distribution points, navigating extreme constraints, and using every safe route to reach people where they are.

However, to sustain these efforts, WFP reiterated its call for multiple points of access and safe routes to reach people, support from the international community, and a sustained ceasefire.

Meanwhile, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reports that the agency recently supported 200 farmers in Rafah and Khan Younis to optimize the use of land that is still available to grow critically needed staple crops.

The pilot initiative – which is being funded through the occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund* – provides farmers with cash-based assistance to help re-establish limited local food production until a sustained ceasefire is reached.