Over 900 Obstacles Stall Aid to West Bank Families While Gaza Children Access Summer Learning

Humanitarian partners report that over 900 physical obstacles—including checkpoints, gates, and roadblocks—are limiting aid delivery across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. UN Associate Spokesperson Daniela Gross highlighted that these restrictions delay and limit assistance, especially in the northern West Bank where the situation remains particularly severe. Since January, UN‑backed programmes have reached nearly 30,000 children and 15,000 adults with psychosocial support, case management and services for children with disabilities, yet attempts to bring food, water, milk formula, medicines and hygiene items to families in need have often been blocked.

Three Palestinian families in Qusra village near Nablus have been unable to leave their homes since Tuesday, after a new settlement was established adjacent to their houses and access restrictions tightened. The UN human‑rights office warned that time is running out before the families face forced displacement. Municipal and UN partners have repeatedly tried to deliver essential supplies, but settlers reportedly re‑erected a tent that Israeli forces had dismantled the day before, underscoring the fragile protection environment for Palestinians in the area.

In Gaza, more than 300,000 children continue to take part in summer learning programmes supported by UN partners, with shade structures installed in ten temporary learning spaces to mitigate extreme heat. Recent weeks saw a dozen attack‑linked incidents affecting nearly 290 households, two households suffering domestic fires, and five households impacted by the placement of new yellow cement blocks that often signal expanding restricted zones. Humanitarian teams have mobilised rapid support for those displaced by attacks, fires and other incidents, tailoring assistance to each family's specific needs.