Expanding territory under Israeli control in Gaza increases risks to civilians, the UN warns

This warning comes amidst continuing displacement and increasing humanitarian pressure in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

In a statement, the joint State Humanitarian Team in the OPT said the expansion of territory under Israeli control, along with restrictions on movement, limits access for aid workers and reduces the space available for civilians who have been displaced by the conflict.

Deadly force was used for access

According to the statement, Israeli forces have used lethal force to enforce access restrictions in areas they control since the start of the failed ceasefire agreement.

Between October 10, 2025 and early April, the U.N verified the killing of 196 Palestinians in Israeli attacks reportedly occurred near the area where Israeli troops were deployed. Those killed included 18 women and 43 children.

Many of those killed reportedly moved through areas that did not have clear demarcations on the ground, while many others were injured.

Impact on aid

The statement also highlighted the impact on humanitarian operations, saying that movement restrictions continue to cause delays and disruption to life-saving assistance.

Some humanitarian partners have had to reduce or temporarily suspend essential activities, affecting thousands of families, especially after the killing of service providers working in the region.

‘Shrinking’ the available space

The UN and its humanitarian partners also warned that expanding control measures would narrow the area available to civilians.

Most of the Palestinian residents in Gaza have been displaced several times and are now concentrated in an increasingly limited area.

According to the UN, areas where access is restricted now cover about 65 percent of Gaza, with most areas off-limits to residents and all requiring humanitarian organizations to coordinate access. Access by sea also remains prohibited.

Targeting must end

The UN and non-governmental humanitarian organizations reiterated their call for an immediate end to the targeting of Palestinians deemed to stray too close to Israeli forces.

Civilians must always be protected in line with international humanitarian and human rights law, they urged.

The UN said families left the Beit Lahia area of ​​Gaza after Israeli troops advanced, reportedly setting fire to three tents by dropping incendiary munitions from the air and erecting yellow cement blocks marking the further expansion of the “Yellow Line”.

Health impacts

Humanitarian agencies also warn that skin diseases and acute diarrhea continue to spread, driven by overcrowding and poor water and sanitation conditions.

The aid response remains hampered by severe access restrictions and funding shortages, with less than a quarter of humanitarian aid delivered this year so far.

In the midst of these challenges, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said this week that it had cleared half of the pile of solid waste built up by the conflict at Firas Market in Gaza, and described it as a significant step towards restoring the historic commercial center.

About 250,000 cubic meters of rubbish was removed, clearing 75 percent of the market area.