East Jerusalem demolition displaces 69 Palestinians as Gaza water crisis strains aid

On 5 October, Israeli authorities authorized the demolition of a residential block in the At Tur neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, forcing 69 Palestinians to leave, including a majority of children. OCHA notes this is the largest single‑site displacement recorded in occupied East Jerusalem since its monitoring began in 2009. Residents reported that Israeli forces stopped them from collecting personal items, leaving belongings under the debris. Humanitarian partners quickly carried out needs assessments and supplied emergency shelter, rent assistance and basic household goods, as well as psychosocial support. This demolition adds to more than 1,800 Palestinians displaced across the West Bank and East Jerusalem this year, most linked to the denial of building permits that are seldom issued to locals.

In Gaza, a combination of funding shortfalls and import restrictions on essential equipment has crippled water and sanitation services for roughly half a million residents. OCHA estimates that about 500,000 people in Deir al‑Balah and Khan Younis are now rationing drinking water, while three quarters of households depend on water trucks. Humanitarian agencies are delivering around 25,000 cubic metres of water each day through 3,200 collection points, but two southern desalination plants operate below capacity because spare parts, engine oil and other critical items are barred from entry. The shortfall forces broader reliance on truck‑delivered water and has prompted rationing across the enclave.

Aid workers on both fronts face logistical hurdles that limit the reach of assistance. In East Jerusalem, despite the provision of shelter, rent subsidies and psychosocial aid, families say they could not retrieve any of their possessions from the demolished building. In Gaza, agencies have distributed thousands of hygiene supplies—including trash cans, bags, sponges, 3,000 litres of soap, 4,600 gloves and masks, nearly 1,300 litres of bleach, more than 200 latrines and hundreds of hygiene kits—but vehicle maintenance problems and security‑related access restrictions impede service delivery to many collection sites. Partners stress that continued funding for fuel and the reopening of two landfills are essential to prevent waste buildup and sustain water distribution.