UNRWA Situation Report #177 on the Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All information updated for 19 - 25 June 2025

Highlights

• Since the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza on the night between 17 and 18 March 2025, intense Israeli Forces activities escalated, resulting in tens of thousands of civilians reportedly killed and injured, further damage and destruction to civilian infrastructure, and new waves of forced displacement.
• According to OCHA, people are confined to ever-shrinking spaces, with 82.6 per cent of the Gaza Strip now within the Israeli-militarized zone, under displacement orders, or where these overlap. The UN estimates that over 684,000 people have been displaced yet again since the breakdown of the ceasefire.
• The UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) stated that “Israel’s militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution. It endangers civilians, and contributes to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.”
• The fuel crisis in the Gaza Strip has reached deeply worrisome levels. Humanitarian organisations warn that without the immediate entry of fuel, lifesaving and life-sustaining services are at risk of shutting down imminently. On 20 June, UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder stated that only 40 per cent (or 87 out of 217) of drinking water production facilities are still functional in the Gaza Strip.
• The health response in the Gaza Strip continues to face severe operational challenges, including extensive damage to health facilities, obstacles to safe movements and restrictions on the entry of medical supplies and critical fuel. UNRWA medical services are under-resourced, with nearly half of medical supplies already out of stock. UNRWA was not allowed to bring any humanitarian aid including medicines and medical supplies for nearly four months now (since 2 March 2025).
• Mass demolitions under the Israeli operation that started on 21 January – which has entered its sixth month – continue in the northern West Bank.

Key points

The Gaza Strip

• Since the night between 17 and 18 March, the Israeli Forces have escalated bombardments from air, land and sea across the Gaza Strip and expanded ground operations, resulting in tens of thousands of reported casualties, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and large-scale displacement. People are living in inhumane conditions, seeking shelter anywhere they can, including damaged or destroyed buildings, overcrowded displacement sites, and open areas. According to OCHA, fighting between the Israeli Forces and Palestinian armed groups has been reported.

• Since 19 May, after almost 80 days of siege on the entry of aid and any other supplies into the Gaza Strip – including food, medicine and fuel, the Israeli authorities have allowed only a select number of UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to resume the delivery of limited aid into Gaza. However, the entry of aid has remained challenging. OCHA reported that among the limited number of trucks that were collected from crossing points for distribution inside Gaza since the siege was eased but not lifted, only a small fraction was delivered to the intended destinations due to obstacles to humanitarian aid delivery. UNRWA has not been able to bring in any humanitarian supplies for nearly four months (since 2 March). No fuel has been allowed at all into Gaza since 2 March.

• According OCHA, mass casualties continue being reported among people attempting to access food in the Gaza Strip, including as they approach or gather at militarized distribution points in Rafah and Deir al-Balah or wait for trucks carrying aid supplies. According to OCHA, as of 25 June, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported that 549 people were killed and at least 4,066 injured trying to access food supplies.

• Jonathan Whittall, Head of OCHA oPt, stated that people in Gaza are being killed while trying to reach food, adding that “The attempt to survive is being met with a death sentence.” He explained that “The majority of the casualties have been shot or shelled trying to reach US-Israeli distribution sites purposefully set up in militarized zones” with “Israeli Forces opening fire on crowds gathering to get food,” while others have been killed or injured by armed gangs.

• The UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) reported that “scenes of chaos” have been observed “around the food distribution points of the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” and the few UN humanitarian convoys. Women, children, older and disabled people in particular are facing multiple challenges at these points and are potentially at risk of aggravated forms of exploitation and abuse.” OHCHR added that “Israel’s militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution. It endangers civilians and contributes to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

• Malnutrition continues to increase, with UNICEF reporting that an average of 112 children a day have been admitted for treatment for malnutrition between January and May 2025.

• According to UNFPA, the lack of sufficient amount of food and the cooking energy crisis is deepening gender inequality and exacerbating risks of gender-based violence (GBV). UNFPA reported that “In displacement settings, where women often carry the burden of securing food and water, their movement through unsafe areas exposes them to harassment, assault, and exploitation.” UNFPA highlighted that the “Denial of food or control over food access within families has been identified as a form of violence,” with food being used as a means of coercion in abusive relationships.

• The restrictions on the entry of fuel – now entering their fourth month, continue placing life-sustaining services at a severe risk. Humanitarian actors including UNRWA are implementing strict ration measures, but critical health and WASH services are at risk of shutting down if the entry of fuel is not urgently allowed.

• OCHA reported that, as of 24 June, 77 per cent of WASH assets and facilities fall within the Israeli-militarized zone or in areas that have been placed under displacement orders since 18 March. On 20 June, UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder stated that only 40 per cent (or 87 out of 217) of drinking water production facilities are still functional in the Gaza Strip, adding that “without fuel, every one of these will stop operating within weeks.” The lack of water also contributes to a severe deterioration of hygiene, creating conditions for the further spread of waterborne and hygiene-related diseases.

• The health response in the Gaza Strip continues to face severe operational challenges, including extensive damage to health facilities, obstacles to safe movements and restrictions on the entry of medical supplies and critical fuel. UNRWA medical services are critically under-resourced. Nearly half (or 49 per cent) of essential medical supplies are already out of stock and over one fifth (21 per cent) are projected to run out in under two months. The affected supplies include medicine for non-communicable diseases, antimicrobials and antiparasitic products, dermatological and eye preparations, analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications, gastrointestinal products, respiratory medications, and family planning methods.

• OCHA reported that, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education, over 76,000 students in Gaza were unable to sit for their general secondary examinations over the past two academic years.

• According to OCHA, between 10 and 21 June, the Gaza Strip experienced five fiber-optic cable cuts, causing a complete internet outage and widespread mobile service interruptions. This has also severely hindered life-saving humanitarian operations and the ability of people to access critical information and essential services.

• All UNRWA international staff are banned from entering the Gaza Strip since the few remaining left at the end of March. This follows the passage of two laws by Israel’s parliament, (the Knesset), on 28 October 2024[2], that prohibit UNRWA’s operations in “Israeli territory” and bar any contact between UNRWA and Israeli officials.

• Meanwhile, around 12,000 Palestinian UNRWA personnel in Gaza continue to provide services and assistance to an entire population in need, while spearheading the collective humanitarian response. In the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, over 4,000 UNRWA Palestinian local staff continue to provide education, health and other services to Palestine Refugees. No visas have been issued from the Government of Israel to UNRWA international staff since the end of January 2025.

• With at least 47 displacement orders issued by the Israeli military since 18 March, about 281.9 square kilometres of the Gaza Strip are under displacement orders (the total area of the Gaza Strip is approximately 365 square kilometres). According to OCHA, over four-fifths (or 82.6 per cent) of the Gaza Strip are within the Israeli-militarized zone, under displacement orders, or where these overlap. The UN estimates that over 684,000 people have been displaced yet again since the breakdown of the ceasefire in mid-March.

• Between 18 and 24 June, three displacement orders, including two affecting a total of 27 UNRWA installations, were issued by Israeli Forces.

  • On 24 June, the Israeli Forces issued a displacement order impacting areas of north Gaza including Jabalia Al-Balad, Al-Nahda, Al-Rawda and north of At-Tuffah neighborhood. No installations are located in the affected area.
  • On 23 June, the Israeli Forces issued a displacement order impacting central and north Khan Younis. Twenty-one UNRWA installations are located in the affected area.
  • On 20 June, the Israeli Forces issued a displacement order impacting areas of Gaza City (Old City and Tuffah neighborhood). Six UNRWA installations are located in the affected area.

• At least 172 UNRWA installations – or over half of all UNRWA installations in the Gaza Strip – are located within the Israeli-militarized zone, under displacement orders, or where these overlap.

• Despite the lack of aid allowed into Gaza and existing challenges, UNRWA continues providing services to communities overwhelmed by over 20 months of bombardment, forced displacement, and lack of critical resources. However, the resumed bombardment and the 11-week-long siege, which completely banned the entry of any basic supplies from UNRWA since 2 March, have further worsened an already dire situation, severely hindering humanitarian actors’ ability to respond to the population’s need for food, water, sanitation, shelter and more.

• According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people – or about 90 per cent of the population – across the Gaza Strip have been displaced during the war. Many have been displaced repeatedly, some 10 times or more. Since the recent displacement orders were issued, more people have been forced to flee in search of safety.

• Between 7 October 2023 and 25 June 2025, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, as stated by OCHA, at least 56,156 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Gaza and 132,239 have been injured.

• Since the war began 317 UNRWA team members have been confirmed killed.

• OCHA reported that, of the 84 planned aid movements coordinated with Israeli authorities across Gaza from 18 to 24 June 2025, nearly 37 per cent were denied, 11 per cent were initially accepted but faced impediments, 12 per cent withdrawn, and 40 per cent facilitated. Overall, of the 323 planned aid movements coordinated with Israeli authorities across the Gaza Strip between 1 and 24 June, 154 were denied, 30 impeded, 42 withdrawn, and 97 facilitated.