The UN on Thursday warned that "high levels" of displacement continue in the occupied West Bank, with more than 900 Palestinians forced from their homes since the beginning of 2026, amid escalating illegal Israeli settler violence and demolitions.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference that "high levels of displacement continue since the beginning of 2026, more than 900 Palestinians have been forced out of their homes and communities, mostly due to settler violence and access restrictions followed by demolitions."
"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," he added.
He noted that OCHA is "carrying out preliminary assessments of damage and needs following these incidents to inform humanitarian response by both us and our partners."
Dujarric highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, with continued loss of life.
According to health authorities, "they reported dozens of fatalities and injuries over the previous 24 hours, adding that many people remain inaccessible to emergency teams," he said.
"As a reminder, all parties must fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure," he added.
Dujarric also emphasized medical evacuations, saying the World Health Organization and partners "supported the medical evacuation of at least eight patients and 17 companions from Gaza to Egypt through Rafah," and earlier evacuated seven patients and 14 companions.
He added that "more than 18,500 patients in Gaza still require specialized treatment that's unavailable to them locally," reiterating calls for reopening referral routes to the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
