Israeli restrictions and coercive practices against Gaza residents are deepening humanitarian needs, including those for psychosocial services, UN humanitarians said Tuesday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said its partners in Gaza, which operate a toll-free hotline, reported a 14 percent increase in remote counseling sessions between March and April of this year. It held more than 9,600 sessions last month.
“The increase is particularly pronounced for cases involving suicidal ideation, which increased by 90 percent,” OCHA said. “There is 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 life-changing injuries, including spinal cord injuries, severe traumatic brain injuries, major burns and limb amputations, and that about 53,000 injuries require prolonged 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 operational and more than 400 patients are on waiting lists for specialized inpatient care.
In the West Bank, OCHA said bulldozers operated by Israeli settlers on Friday demolished structures belonging to the displaced Palestinian community of Arab al Khouli in Qalqiliya governorate, which was previously home to more than 20 families. Following repeated settler attacks, members of the community fled on February 27.
"This is one of 45 Palestinian communities completely displaced since 2023 due to repeated settler attacks and related access restrictions," the humanitarian office said.
OCHA said that more than 60 percent of this year's displacements, linked to settler attacks and related access restrictions, have occurred in the Jordan Valley area.
