UNRWA Situation Report #160 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All information updated for 12- 18 February 2025 [EN/AR]

Days 494-500 since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip

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Highlights

• Since the start of the ceasefire up to 16 February, it is estimated that UNRWA teams have already reached more than 1.9 million people with food parcels and have enough in the pipeline to reach the rest of Gaza’s population. During the same reporting period, UNRWA health teams have provided over 297,000 health consultations.
• On 18 February, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini posted on X (previously known as Twitter) that the Israeli Forces and personnel from the Jerusalem Municipality had forcefully entered the UNRWA Kalandia Training Centre and ordered its immediate evacuation. On the same day, Israeli police officers, accompanied by staff from the Israeli Ministry of Education went to three UNRWA schools ordering their closure. UNRWA runs six schools, two health centres and one vocational training centre in areas that fall with the Israeli-defined East Jerusalem municipal boundary in the West Bank.
• On 18 February, the World Bank, the United Nations and the European Union published a report assessing damages, losses and needs in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank based on data between October 2023 and October 2024. According to the assessment’s findings, reconstruction and recovery needs in Gaza are estimated to require around US$ 53 billion.

Key points

The Gaza Strip

• On 15 February, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the sixth 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 369 Palestinian detainees were released from Israeli detention centres. Palestinian detainees included 333 people who were detained from the Gaza Strip after 7 October 2023 and 24 detainees who were released to Egypt.
• On the same day, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini addressed the Munich Security Conference, highlighting that UNRWA teams continue to stay and deliver in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He stated that, if UNRWA were to implode because of the Israeli legislation which entered into force at the end of January and the suspension of funding by key donors, this would “create a vacuum and potentially sow the seeds for more despair and extremism in the future.”
• On 18 February, the World Bank, in partnership with the United Nations and the European Union, published a report assessing damages, losses and needs in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank based on data between October 2023 and October 2024. According to the assessment’s findings, reconstruction and recovery needs in Gaza are estimated to require around US$ 53 billion. Damages to physical structures alone are estimated at about US$ 30 billion, with housing being the hardest hit sector accounting for 53 per cent of total damages, followed by commerce and industry at 20 per cent. The impact on lifeline infrastructure such as health, water and transport is estimated at over 15 per cent of the total damages. According to the report, economic losses from reduced productivity, foregone revenues, and operating costs are estimated at US$ 19 billion, with health, education and commerce being particularly impacted.
• Thousands of humanitarian trucks – including over 1,900 UNRWA trucks – carrying essential food supplies, shelter items, and medicines have crossed into the Gaza Strip since the start of the ceasefire until 18 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 18 February, UNRWA had the equivalent of around 5,700 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 16 February, it is estimated that UNRWA teams have already reached more than 1.9 million people with food parcels and have enough in the pipeline to reach the rest of Gaza’s population. UNRWA and WFP work together to meet the caloric needs of the population.
• UNRWA runs 120 shelters across the Gaza Strip, with around 120,000 displaced people residing there. Over 18,300 UNRWA tents and over 145,000 tarpaulins have already entered the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into effect.
• Since the ceasefire, thousands of families across the five Governorates have received non-food items, including blankets, mattresses, floor mats, clothes, kitchen items, and at least 50,000 tarpaulins. On 17 February alone, UNRWA teams have distributed nearly 5,000 tents to displaced families across the Gaza Strip.
• UNRWA teams continue to provide psychosocial support services and primary health consultations wherever possible. Since the start of the ceasefire until 16 February 2025, UNRWA health teams have provided over 297,000 health consultations (or nearly 15,000 per working day), care for around 19,000 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk, dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics reaching nearly 12,000 patients, and physiotherapy rehabilitation services for over 5,500 patients.
• Since the ceasefire until 18 February, UNRWA has reopened three of its health centres that had been forced to close due to the war and has established new medical points to expand people’s access to health services throughout the Gaza Strip. As of 16 February, five out of 22 UNRWA health centres and four additional UNRWA-rented facilities used as temporary health centres were operational in the Gaza Strip. Health services are also provided through 124 mobile medical teams working in 54 medical points.
• On 13 February, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that hundreds of children in Gaza need to be evacuated to receive lifesaving cancer treatment, adding that “of the 405 children with cancer referred to pediatric facilities outside Gaza after the war erupted in October 2023, only 10 were approved with a companion. In some cases, children died before receiving approval.”
• 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 18 February 2025, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, as stated by OCHA, at least 48,291 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Gaza and 111,722have 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 274.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

• According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 17 February 2025, 883 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. Tens of thousands of refugee camp residents remain displaced, primarily from the Jenin , Nur Shams and Tulkarm refugees camps , where conditions are near-uninhabitable following weeks of sustained violence and destruction.
• Following the withdrawal of Israeli Forces from El F’ara Camp, most families displaced from there were able to return, and UNRWA services resumed in full.
• Early on 12 February, without UNRWA’s authorization, the Israeli Forces forcibly entered the Agency’s Arroub Camp Health Centre, in the southern West Bank, and used it as a temporary detention site during a search and arrest operation. Dozens of Palestinian residents from the camp were detained and interrogated within the UNRWA health centre by the Israeli Forces.
• An increase in Israeli settlers’ violence was witnessed from 14 to 16 February reported in several locations, including Masafer Yatta, Wadi Qana, Wadi Al Faw, and Araba. In one incident in Al Maniya on 14 February, armed Israeli settlers physically assaulted Palestinian villagers, throwing stones and setting fire to their property. Some 16 Palestinians were reported injured.
• On 16 February, the Israeli Forces carried out a search operation in the Old City of Nablus, during which anti-tank grenades were deployed against a Palestinian house. Twelve Palestinians, including one child, were injured during the operation.
• As part of the latest phase of the Palestinian detainee releases associated with the Gaza ceasefire deal, 12 Palestinian detainees were released from Israeli detention into the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
• On 18 February, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini posted on X (previously known as Twitter) that the Israeli Forces and personnel from the Jerusalem Municipality had forcefully entered the UNRWA Kalandia Training Centre and ordered its immediate evacuation. On the same day, Israeli police officers, accompanied by staff from the Ministry of Education went to UNRWA schools ordering their closure. The UNRWA Commissioner-General stated that these incidents “have impacted 250 children in three UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, more than 350 trainees in the Kalandia Training Centre, a large United Nations compound,” adding that “this is a violation of the basic right to education as well as of United Nations privileges and immunities.”

Overall situation

The Gaza Strip

Between 7 October 2023 and 18 February 2025, according to the MoH in Gaza as stated by OCHA, at least 48,291 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in the Gaza Strip while 111,722 have been reported injured.

Humanitarian access, 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.

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 16 February 2025, UNRWA provided over 7.6 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 252,000 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 16 February 2025, UNRWA health teams have provided over 297,000 health consultations, care for around 19,000 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk, dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics reaching nearly 12,000 patients, and physiotherapy rehabilitation services for over 5,500 patients.
• As of 16 February, only five 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 124 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 10 and 16 February, an average of 1,062 UNRWA health staff worked in health centres, temporary clinics and medical points across the Gaza Strip, providing 70,880 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 10 and 16 February, UNRWA teams responded to 3,346 cases in health centres and at medical points through individual consultations, awareness sessions and to address cases of gender-based violence (GBV).
• Between 10 and 16 February, UNRWA medical teams provided care for 4,875 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk.
• Between 10 and 16 February, UNRWA teams provided dental and oral health services in fixed and mobile clinics, reaching 2,974 patients.
• Between 10 and 16 February, 1,204 patients received physiotherapy rehabilitation services in health centres and medical points.

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 10 and 16 February 2025, 5,914 children (4,037 boys, 1,877 girls, including 128 children with disabilities) participated in basic literacy and numeracy activities, PSS sessions and recreational activities including arts, music and sports.
• Building on the success of onsite learning initiative in the Temporary Learning Shelters, on 1 January 2025, UNRWA launched a new distance learning programme to further mitigate learning loss among displaced children. This enables UNRWA to use a blended approach that combines online with onsite learning, helping Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip to have access to basic literacy and numeracy despite the crisis. To date, 251,691 children (128,686 boys, 123,005 girls) have enrolled in the programme and received basic learning activities delivered by 7,665 teachers covering Arabic, English, mathematics, and science.
• 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 16 February 2025, around 730,000 displaced people, including over 520,000 children, have benefited from 285,725 PSS sessions and activities. Between 10 and 16 February, a total of 7,625 displaced people accessed these services.
• Between 7 October 2023 and 16 February 2025, UNRWA’s social work team has provided services to 208,420 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 22,835 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 154,050 displaced people.

Food Security

• Since the start of the war and until the start of the ceasefire, 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. Up until the start of the ceasefire, 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 Khan Younis that has the capacity to provide 70 cubic litres of water per hour and is now serving around 14,000 people in the area.
• Between 10 and 16 February, UNRWA teams provided over 35,000 cubic litres of water to displaced people in emergency shelters and other UNRWA facilities.
• UNRWA continues to provide a solid waste collection and transfer service wherever possible. Between 10 and 16 February, over 2,500 tons of solid waste were collected by UNRWA sanitation teams.
• During the same reporting period, UNRWA teams distributed around 80,000 soaps and over 3,000 cleaning items.
• 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 5,700 tons of solid waste.

Quote from Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General:

“If UNRWA collapses, what is the alternative? Our operating environment is becoming more and more difficult, but Knesset bills do not prevent the agency from providing critical services in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.”

ENDS-

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[1] Some of the information is reported during the reporting period but does not necessarily correspond to the reporting period.

[2] Initially reaching 45 UNRWA schools/shelters, "Back to Learning" will gradually expand to 94 schools in future phases.

[3] 176 school counsellors and 566 assistant counsellors.

[4] The composition of the food parcel may change based on food item availability.tr