HAMILTON, Canada: The United Nations warned on Thursday that displacement remains at “high levels” in the occupied West Bank, with more than 900 Palestinians forced from their homes since the start of 2026 amid escalating Israeli settler violence and demolitions.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news briefing that most of the displacement was driven by settler attacks and access restrictions, followed by demolitions, reports Anadolu.
“These figures are as of yesterday, and just in two weeks, from Jan. 20 until this Monday, OCHA documented more than 50 Israeli settler attacks that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both,” Dujarric said.
He added that OCHA is conducting preliminary damage and needs assessments to guide the humanitarian response by the UN and its partners.
Dujarric also underscored the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where health authorities reported dozens of deaths and injuries over the past 24 hours, with many victims still inaccessible to emergency teams.
“All parties must fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said.
On medical evacuations, Dujarric said the World Health Organization and partners facilitated the transfer of at least eight patients and 17 companions from Gaza to Egypt via Rafah, following earlier evacuations of seven patients and 14 companions.
He said more than 18,500 patients in Gaza still require specialised care unavailable locally, renewing calls to reopen medical referral routes to the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
