UNITED NATIONS, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli restrictions and coercive practices against the residents of Gaza are deepening humanitarian needs, including for psychosocial services, UN humanitarians said Tuesday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said its partners in Gaza, operating a toll-free hotline, reported a 14 percent increase in remote counseling sessions between March and April this year. It held more than 9,600 sessions last month.
"The increase is particularly pronounced for cases involving suicide ideation, which rose by 90 percent," OCHA said. "There's also a 46 percent increase in counseling related to physical gender-based violence and a 34 percent increase in counseling for anxiety and fear."
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that more than 43,000 people have potentially life-changing injuries, including spinal cord injury, major traumatic brain injury, major burn and limb amputation, and that around 53,000 injuries require extended rehabilitation. One in five amputees is a child, it said.
The WHO said that while the availability of rehabilitation services has improved since September 2025, capacity remains below pre-October 2023 levels. Currently, no rehabilitation facilities are fully functional, and more than 400 patients are on waiting lists for specialized inpatient care.
In the West Bank, OCHA said that bulldozers operated by Israeli settlers on Friday demolished structures belonging to the displaced Palestinian community of Arab al Khouli in Qalqiliya governorate, previously home to more than 20 households. Following recurrent settler attacks, members of the community fled on Feb. 27.
"This is one of 45 Palestinian communities displaced in full since 2023 due to recurrent settler attacks and related access restrictions," the humanitarian office said.
OCHA said that more than 60 percent of the displacement this year, linked to settler attacks and related access restrictions, has occurred in the Jordan Valley area.
Palestinians in the West Bank must be protected, as required by law, and perpetrators of violations must be held accountable, the office said. ■
