Over 1,500 Palestinians displaced by Israel in occupied West Bank in 2026: UN

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Wednesday warned that more than 1,500 Palestinians have already been displaced in the occupied West Bank in 2026, reaching 90% of the total figure recorded in 2025.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference that "new figures indicate that more than 180 Palestinians have been displaced due to settler attacks and access restrictions across the West Bank since the onset of the regional escalation," bringing "the total number of Palestinians displaced within this context so far this year to more than 1,500 people, 90% of the number for all of last year."

"Palestinians' access to their places of work and where they receive services continues to be impeded by tightened movement restrictions imposed by Israeli security forces," he said.

Noting that such Israeli restrictions "largely impede movements between cities and keep the iron gates at the entrances of many villages closed," he added that "high levels of violence are persisting."

He further stressed that "more than 40% of those displaced are children and that displacement deepens people's reliance on humanitarian aid support and is often associated with the loss of economic livelihoods."

OCHA called again "for the protection of Palestinians in the West Bank and for the perpetrators of violence against them to be held to account."

On the situation in the Gaza Strip, Dujarric emphasized Israel's "ongoing restrictions on aid operations," which, he said, "are worsening an already critical humanitarian situation."

"One example we can share with you today is about the growing number of generator failures in hospitals due to the lack of spare parts and lubricating oil," he said.

Dujarric also reported "high levels of infections spread by insects that can be found in the many displacement sites throughout Gaza," saying "nearly 23,000 suspected cases were recorded last month alone," while "supplies of hygiene kits, insecticides and scabies treatment remain critically low, limiting our ability to respond."