UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians said Friday the level of violence in the West Bank is deeply concerning, while efforts to pour more aid into the Gaza Strip are being thwarted.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said reasons for concern include casualties, property damage, displacement, loss of livelihoods, and a strong sense of insecurity in the West Bank due to the violence.
The number of Palestinian children killed in the West Bank in 2025 reached 50, including two girls, the youngest 2 years old. Overall, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of the year in the West Bank, OCHA noted.
The office said it documented 29 attacks between Nov. 11 and 17 by Israeli settlers that led to 11 injuries and damaged 10 homes, two mosques, nearly two dozen vehicles and a wide range of agricultural assets, including livestock, seasonal crops and roughly 1,000 trees and saplings.
In the northern West Bank, large-scale operations by Israeli forces have left tens of thousands in prolonged displacement, causing additional school closures and further tightening movement restrictions. In the town of Ya'bad, where Israeli troops have been operating for two weeks, 55 people were newly displaced, OCHA said.
The office said the United Nations and its partners provide cash aid to families displaced or otherwise affected. More than 10,000 households have received such support so far this year.
OCHA continues to call for the protection of civilians, which includes enforcing the law against anyone who carries out attacks and for lethal force to be used only in strict accordance with internationally agreed law enforcement standards. "War-like tactics must not be tolerated as the new normal in the West Bank," it said.
In the Gaza Strip, continuing obstacles are hindering the humanitarian scale-up since the Oct. 10 ceasefire, OCHA said. Restrictions on visas and import approvals, too few operating crossing points and limited facilitation of humanitarian movements inside the strip are among the impediments to aid delivery.
The office said that between Nov. 12 and 18, the United Nations and its partners tried to coordinate over 50 humanitarian movements with the Israeli authorities. Most were to collect cargo from the three border crossings. Others were for search-and-rescue work, road repairs, assessments and clearances, or staff deployment.
OCHA said that supplies from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing, also in the south, continue to be directed through the Philadelphi Corridor and along the Al Rasheed coastal road, a congested route that limits convoy size.
On Thursday, the United Nations and its partners ended the first round of the catch-up immunization campaign, which began on Nov. 9.
The office said that on Monday and Tuesday, humanitarian teams distributed 121,000 towels, more than 2,800 dignity and hygiene kits, nearly 4,800 handwashing stations, 1,000 buckets, 225 jerry cans and 13 water tanks for 400,000 people. More than 10,000 tents, 130,000 tarpaulins, 150,000 bedding kits and 1,000 kitchen sets were distributed between Nov. 13 and 18. ■
