Qusra siege eases as UN reaches trapped families, but crisis deepens in Gaza

UN teams on the ground reached the families after they were confined to their homes following the establishment of an Israeli settlement outpost nearby and the imposition of tighter access restrictions, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the daily noon briefing.

Some relief

A UNICEF team delivered water, food, medicines, hygiene items and recreational kits for children. As of Monday, however, the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) reported that three Palestinian families in the village remained surrounded by a heavy presence of Israeli forces and settlers.

Separately, municipal workers managed to repair water and electricity connections that had been damaged over the past week, though only after facing serious impediments – Israeli settlers attacked the workers, and Israeli forces detained some of them, Mr. Dujarric said. 

Israeli forces also reportedly ordered a nearby Palestinian factory to suspend operations, affecting local livelihoods.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, multiple people were injured over the weekend, including by live ammunition, in two separate incidents in Hebron governorate involving Israeli forces, settlers and Palestinians.

Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov, who is also the humanitarian coordinator, said recent developments in the West Bank underscore the urgent need to protect civilians, safeguard homes and property, and ensure access to essential services.

The update follows an appeal from the UN rights office (OHCHR) last Thursday, after three Palestinian families – around 15 people, including at least two children – were left confined to their homes “in a state of terror” in Qusra’s Ras al Ein area, with settlers accused of cutting off their power and water. 

The attacks are part of a pattern of escalating settler violence in Qusra since a nearby outpost was established in November 2025, OHCHR said.

Gaza: Strikes and shelter shortages

In Gaza, humanitarian partners remain concerned about the impact of continued Israeli strikes on civilians, Mr. Dujarric told correspondents in New York. 

Over the weekend, UN partners reported multiple air strikes and incidents of shelling, gunfire and naval fire, primarily west of the so-called Yellow Line, where most of Gaza’s 2.1 million people are now confined to an area covering less than half of the enclave’s former land mass. 

Civilians were reported among the casualties.

Humanitarian partners also warned that preparations for the coming rainy season are facing funding shortfalls and other constraints, even as the need for them becomes more urgent. 

Tents barred from entry

Ahead of winter, the UN and its partners have managed to purchase fewer than 30,000 tents – most of which remain stuck outside Gaza – against an estimated need of between 80,000 and 130,000, depending on whether more durable shelter materials are allowed in. Such materials still cannot be brought into the Gaza Strip.

Less than 40 per cent of the $4 billion required for humanitarian support across Gaza and the West Bank has been secured so far this year.