The Israeli military’s siege has forced the vast majority of residents from the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams refugee camps in the West Bank to flee their homes.
These camps, located just kilometers apart, were once home to over 40,000 Palestinians.
The United Nations reports this as the largest displacement in the territory since Israel’s occupation began in 1967.
Families are now displaced, struggling to find shelter and basic necessities amid ongoing conflict and restricted access to aid.
While displacement grips the West Bank, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsens, with Palestinians facing lethal risks to access aid.
Atar Riyad, a father of eight displaced from Beit Hanoon to Gaza City, described chaotic scenes at aid distribution points along the Netzarim Corridor, where crowds of about 20,000 gather daily.
Riyad stated, “The trucks moved very fast, running people over,” illustrating the deadly conditions.
A Gaza health official reported that 17,000 children suffer from malnutrition, warning that many may die without urgent intervention due to shortages of baby milk and medicine.
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has urged Israel to lift the Gaza blockade, which severely limits humanitarian aid to the territory’s estimated two million residents.
UNRWA emphasized, “Since the war began in Gaza, UNRWA has never stopped working – not through bombardment, displacement, or despair.”
However, aid delivery is further complicated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed Israeli organization causing hundreds of deaths at distribution sites.
Major aid groups and the UN have refused to collaborate with GHF, citing its coordination with Israeli troops and armed US security personnel as a violation of humanitarian principles.
In Gaza, critical surgeries are postponed due to shortages of medical supplies and staff.