OCHA Archives - CrossFireArarbia

Israeli Gunboats Fire at, Injure 5 Gaza Fishermen

CrossFireArabia
August 31, 2026

The sea, which Gaza fishermen traditionally frequent to provide for their families, has remained hazardous and not safe even after the 10 October, 2025 ceasefire was declared. Early Monday morning, five Palestinian fishermen were wounded by Israeli gunboats gunfire while working off the coast of Gaza City. This incident adds to a long list of attacks targeting fishermen.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its crew transported five wounded fishermen from the Gaza port area. Three were taken to the Society’s field hospital, Al-Saraya, while the other two were transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital for treatment.

The fishermen were injured while working off the coast of Gaza City after Israeli gunboats opened fire on their boats.

Livelihood Under Fire

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture stated that the attack represents another instance of the repeated targeting of fishermen and is part of a policy aimed at cutting off the livelihoods of those working in the maritime and agricultural sectors and depriving them of their most basic rights.

The Ministry stated that the attacks have transformed fishing, a vital source of income for many Palestinian families, into a life-threatening activity for those working at sea. It called upon human rights and international organizations to intervene, halt these violations, and provide protection for fishermen and farmers.

Thus, Gazan fishermen no longer go to sea solely to face the difficulties of fishing, fuel and equipment shortages, and damaged boats, but also the risk of being shot at, at a time when job opportunities and income sources have become extremely limited in the Gaza Strip.

They are not the first victims. United Nations data reveals that today’s incident is not an isolated one but part of a continuing pattern of attacks and restrictions targeting the fishing sector in Gaza.

In a previous report, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cited the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as documenting 28 attacks on fishermen and fishing sites between 7 October, 2023, and 31 December, 2024. The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture stated that, as of 11 December, 2024, the Israeli army killed approximately 200 fishermen and workers in the fishing sector, out of nearly 6,000 who were employed in this profession before the war.

During the period from 1 January to 16 May, 2025, the OHCHR documented 28 incidents against fishermen, resulting in the deaths of 11 fishermen and injuries to 34 others, in addition to the brief detention of two fishermen before their release.

These figures indicate that targeting fishermen was not a phenomenon limited to the early days of the war, but continued afterward through gunfire, restrictions on access to the sea, and the destruction of fishing equipment.

In its June 2026 report, OCHA stated that access to the sea remained prohibited and fishing activities were effectively restricted, depriving fishermen of their livelihoods and limiting the chances of early economic recovery in the sector. The report also noted the continued occurrence of Israeli gunfire incidents near fishermen or on the shore.

OCHA emphasizes that the restrictions on access to the sea are part of broader restrictions on livelihoods in Gaza, including limitations on access to agricultural land, movement, and the entry of essential goods and supplies.

For the fishermen, the injury of five of their colleagues is not just another incident; it means that going out to sea in search of food and income can end in injury, the loss of their boat, or the loss of their livelihood.

Thus, the sea transforms from a space meant to provide food and work into one fraught with danger and restrictions. In Gaza, a fisherman needs nothing more than a boat, a net, and safe waters to support his family, but when the sea itself becomes a source of danger, the search for fish becomes a search for survival as per the Palestinian Information Center.

News

Israeli Settler Attacks Sore in 2026

marwan
July 28, 2026

Israeli settlers attacked West Bank Palestinians 1,330 times since the beginning of 2026 according to documentary evidence by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The attacks resulted in mass casualties and destruction of Palestinian properties. In a UN Office statement, Monday, OCHA stated it is deeply concerned over the escalation of violence across the West Bank in recent days. It stated that since last Thursday, at least eight Palestinians, including a child, have been killed, in addition to two Israelis, while others have been injured. It added that homes, mosques, trees, and agricultural facilities have been burned or vandalized, some completely destroyed, while at least 10 Palestinian families have been forced to flee their homes due to the recent wave of violence.

For weeks, the West Bank has witnessed an escalation in settler violence against Palestinian citizens and their property. Palestinian and international human rights organizations say that Israeli soldiers turn a blind eye to settler attacks and even participate in them. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that Israeli forces have tightened restrictions on the movement of Palestinians and their access to various areas in the West Bank, preventing thousands of people from accessing essential services, including emergency medical care and livelihoods.

OCHA reported that from the beginning of this year until last Saturday, 77 Palestinians, including 18 children, were killed by Israeli forces or settlers, while three Israelis were killed during the same period. The office emphasized that humanitarian organizations continue to call for the urgent protection of civilians and strict adherence to international humanitarian law and international human rights law, stressing the importance of holding those responsible for violations accountable as reported in Quds Press.

News

Amidst War 50,000 Lebanese Return Home

CrossFireArabia
June 19, 2026

Nearly 50,000 people have returned home in southern Lebanon, though more than 106,000 remain in collective shelters across the country, the UN said Thursday. “Nearly 50,000 people have now returned to their homes in Nabatieh and South governorates,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters, citing data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “However, more than 106,000 people remain in collective sites across the country, with many others seeking shelter elsewhere.”

Features

‘We Are Dying’: Cancer Patients Plead For Treatment

CrossFireArabia
February 8, 2026

As World Cancer Day is marked on Wednesday, thousands of patients in Gaza face worsening illness, untreated pain and closed crossings – despite the limited opening of the vital route through Rafah this week.

“We are dying. Every day, between two and three patients die inside this hospital,” says Munther Abu Foul, a cancer patient lying on his bed in Gaza’s largest hospital. “I can’t get out of bed because of the pain. We want a solution – open the crossings.”

His words capture the reality facing thousands of cancer patients across the Strip, where access to specialist care has collapsed and evacuation for treatment abroad remains out of reach for many.

Local health organisations warn that around 11,000 patients are currently deprived of specialised or diagnostic cancer treatment inside Gaza.

Some 4,000 patients who received medical referrals to hospitals outside the Strip have been waiting for more than two years to travel.

UN News visited Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, documenting the dire conditions inside its oncology department. Patients crowd corridors and wards, waiting for consultations or treatments that are no longer available.

Essential medicines and equipment are in short supply, while many patients endure chronic pain that leaves them barely able to move.

Raed Abu Warda, a man in a green jacket, comforts his brother Hamid Abu Warda, a cancer patient, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

UN News

A man takes care of his brother, a cancer patient at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

‘Every day, two or three patients die’

Mr. Abu Foul flips through his medical transfer papers, issued long ago for treatment outside Gaza. He has not been able to travel for more than two years.

“The health situation in the Gaza Strip is dilapidated,” he says. “There is no treatment or medicines, and we are dying. Every day, two to three patients die here inside this hospital. I can’t get out of bed because of the pain.”

He appeals directly for help. “We want a solution. Open the crossings properly so that God will release us from this suffering. Everyone will be held accountable.”

Nearby, Mohamed Hammou tends to his elderly mother, who is also battling cancer. He says families are forced to watch loved ones deteriorate without care.

We want a solution. Open the crossings properly so that God will release us from this suffering – Abu Foul

“This is how we stand in front of a patient who is dying, without treatment or any medical facilities that help them recover,” he says. “This does not please God and it does not satisfy people. We call on Islamic, Arab and international nations to look at the sick with mercy.”

A brother in pain

In another ward, Raed Abu Warda cares for his brother Hamid, whose cancer has worsened after long delays in treatment. What began as a small, benign illness has become a life-threatening condition.

“He has been suffering from cancer for two years,” Raed explains. “He waited all this time for the crossing to open so he could be treated outside. His pain has increased, as you can see.”

He gestures towards a wound that has opened beneath his brother’s chin. “The disease has created this wound, and his condition is getting worse every day. I stand watching my brother and mourning his condition because of the pain.”

Mundhir Abu Foul, a cancer patient in Gaza, sits on a hospital bed with his hands open, appearing to speak or gesture.

UN News

The health situation in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating for those suffering from life-threatening cancers, despite the limited opening of the Rafah crossing.

The number of patients seeking care at Gaza’s oncology departments continues to rise, even as hospitals face severe shortages of medicines, equipment and specialised staff. For newly diagnosed patients, the future is increasingly uncertain.

Evacuations far short of needs

With the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, the World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the evacuation of patients and their companions from Gaza, focusing on ensuring safe transport. Yet the scale of need far outstrips what is currently possible.

All we ask for is a way to live

More than 18,000 patients – including around 4,000 children – are waiting to be evacuated abroad for medical treatment, according to WHO.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported last week that Gaza’s Ministry of Health had recorded more than 1,200 patient deaths while people were waiting for medical evacuation. Around 4,000 cancer patients remain on critical waiting lists, trapped between closed crossings and a health system pushed beyond its limits.

For patients like Munther Abu Foul, time is running out. “We are dying,” he repeats. “All we ask for is a way to live.” – UN News

News

The Cold Kills 11 Children in Gaza

CrossFireArabia
January 31, 2026

The UN on Friday said the winter conditions in the Gaza Strip are turning deadly as 11 children have died of hypothermia, and renewed calls to lift Israeli restrictions on humanitarian operations.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said at a news conference that “families in Gaza continue to face harsh winter conditions.”

He reported that “on Tuesday, another child reportedly died from hypothermia,” adding: “This is the eleventh child who has died this way since the beginning of the winter season, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza,” according to Anadolu.

Noting that since October, “the UN and our partners have distributed tens of thousands of tents, providing shelter to over half a million people,” Haq stressed that “tents provide limited protection, especially during the rainy season.”

“We continue calling for more durable shelter solutions to limit people’s dependency on tents,” he added.

Haq also warned that food access remains fragile, saying: “Even with the improvements in food consumption this month, humanitarians stress that the entry of aid and commercial supplies must be sustained and further diversified.”

He said that efforts to address malnutrition have expanded, adding: “Humanitarians have expanded services through dozens of facilities established since the ceasefire.”

“We reiterate that restrictions on humanitarian operations must be lifted,” Haq said, calling on Israel to end “the ongoing ban on UNRWA” and urging that humanitarian partners be allowed to operate “without hindrance across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”