- Air strikes and shelling have intensified in Gaza City, with attacks also reported in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, striking homes and tented shelters.
- OCHA says vast areas remain under displacement orders or militarized zones, severely restricting aid access and space for civilians.
- WHO supported the evacuation of 38 Gaza patients abroad, while more than 14,800 others still need life-saving care unavailable in the enclave.
The Big Picture
Intensified hostilities have pounded parts of Gaza City over recent days, as strikes also continue in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis—hitting residential buildings and tents where displaced families are sheltering—according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). OCHA warns that a publicly signaled Israeli ground operation in Gaza City could push thousands of already vulnerable families “over the edge,” with aid groups unable to meet needs at scale due to access and supply constraints.
What’s New
The World Health Organization (WHO) supported the medical evacuation of 38 Gaza patients—mostly children—alongside nearly 100 companions to Italy, Belgium and Türkiye. WHO’s director-general said more than 14,800 others still require urgent treatment that is not available in Gaza and urged countries to open pathways for care while restoring referral routes to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
What They’re Saying
Context
OCHA notes that with the overwhelming share of the Strip under displacement orders or designated militarized zones, civilians have diminishing safe areas to relocate. A months-long Israeli ban on shelter materials has compounded the crisis, leaving hundreds of thousands exposed to heat as improvised tents wear out or are abandoned during repeated flight. Nearly everyone in Gaza has been displaced at least once since the war began, and critical lifelines—food distribution, water access, medical referrals—are repeatedly disrupted. Aid organizations report that further reductions in humanitarian space or new mass movement orders would have devastating consequences for civilians.
What’s Next
If a ground operation in Gaza City proceeds, OCHA warns of escalated risks for families already enduring appalling conditions. Humanitarian agencies are pressing for rapid, safe and sustained access for relief operations, the entry of shelter materials, and the immediate restoration of medical referral routes. WHO is urging more countries to accept patients for specialized treatment while international actors continue to press for a ceasefire to stabilize conditions on the ground.
The Bottom Line
The situation remains precarious: intensified strikes, shrinking humanitarian space, and restricted aid pipeline on one side; a narrow but vital medical lifeline and international appeals on the other. Without expanded access and a halt to hostilities, humanitarian agencies say the civilian toll will deepen.
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