On 2 March, Israeli authorities announced a halt to humanitarian aid entering Gaza, jeopardizing the progress made in delivering vital, lifesaving assistance since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January. The inflow of assistance had been increasing, enabling humanitarian actors to deliver urgently needed tents and shelter materials.
According to the Shelter Cluster, since the ceasefire, partners have coordinated the distribution of over 100,000 tents across the Gaza Strip to internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to destroyed homes or to IDP shelter sites. The UN reports that more than 90 percent of housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past 15 months, and people have been left exposed to cold winter conditions. Shelter aid remains among the most urgently needed assistance. As of 30 January, Knesset legislation against UNRWA took effect, further disrupting the humanitarian response.