Occupied Palestinian Territory Situation Update

Nearly two and a half years after the escalation that began on October 7, 2023, the Occupied Palestinian Territories remain the world's most acute humanitarian crisis. The ACLED Conflict Index ranks OPT as the most dangerous conflict on the planet — number one globally across both diffusion and danger metrics — while the INFORM Severity Index classifies the overall crisis at 4.2 out of 5 (Very High). In Gaza, the scale of destruction has few modern precedents: over 68,858 Palestinians have been killed, more than 170,664 injured, and 81% of all structures have been damaged or destroyed.

The humanitarian response architecture faces an unprecedented funding gap. The 2026 OPT Flash Appeal requires $4.06 billion — yet as of early 2026, only 5.2% has been funded. This stands in stark contrast to 2024, when the appeal achieved 86.8% coverage. The collapse in early funding, combined with confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate and over 500,000 people facing catastrophic conditions, signals that the crisis is deepening even as international attention fragments. Across the West Bank, Israeli military operations — particularly Operation Iron Wall — have displaced over 31,900 Palestinians and killed 255 in the reporting period alone.

This situation update consolidates data from OHCHR, OCHA FTS, the INFORM Risk Index, ACLED, Eurostat, the Gaza Protection Monitoring System, and West Bank protection analysis to provide a comprehensive picture of the crisis as of February 2026. The findings are uniformly severe: 13 out of 15 protection risk categories are at maximum severity, the conflict probability score is 10 out of 10, and the territory now has the highest number of amputee children per capita in the world.

A Death Toll Without Modern Parallel

Between November 2024 and October 2025 — the latest OHCHR reporting period — at least 25,594 Palestinians were killed and 68,837 injured in Gaza alone. Of the 19,582 deaths verified by OHCHR, women accounted for 21%, boys for 20.8%, and girls for 17.8%. The cumulative toll since October 2023 now exceeds 68,858 dead and 170,664 wounded, figures that almost certainly undercount those buried under rubble.

The patterns of attack are revealing. Residential buildings bore the heaviest toll, with 1,993 attacks killing 4,528 people — one-third of them women and children. Israeli UAV strikes numbered 1,143 during the period, killing 2,079 Palestinians; 981 of those strikes occurred after the ceasefire collapsed on March 18, 2025. Even designated safe zones provided no refuge: 161 attacks on Al Mawasi, the declared "humanitarian zone," killed 134 people. Attacks on IDP tents — where displaced families sheltered — numbered 642, killing 1,677.

Perhaps most alarming is the weaponisation of hunger. Between May and October 2025, 2,435 Palestinians were killed while trying to access food — 53% near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites and 47% along supply convoy routes. A further 463 people starved to death during the period, including 157 children.

The Deadliest Theatre for Humanitarians

OPT has become the most dangerous operating environment for humanitarian workers in recorded history. PRISM data tracks 465 separate security incidents between 2023 and 2025, resulting in 559 aid workers killed and 171 wounded. The year 2025 alone saw 198 aid workers killed — surpassing 2024's toll of 185 — despite a lower total incident count, indicating that attacks have become deadlier.

Aerial bombardment is the dominant cause, responsible for 290 incidents and 407 deaths — nearly three-quarters of all fatalities. Shelling accounts for 55 incidents (53 killed), followed by shootings at 52 incidents (41 killed). The victims span every type of organisation: 439 incidents involved UN personnel, 110 affected Red Cross/Red Crescent staff, 106 involved INGOs, and 65 hit national NGOs. On a single day — March 23, 2025 — 15 medical and humanitarian workers from the Red Crescent, Civil Defence, and UNRWA were killed.

Famine, Mass Displacement, and the Collapse of Agriculture

As of October 2025, 1.9 million Palestinians — 90% of Gaza's population — have been displaced, many of them multiple times. Between November 2024 and October 2025 alone, Israeli forces issued 121 displacement orders, placing 82% of Gaza's territory within militarised zones or under active displacement directives. The population of Al Mawasi — designated as a humanitarian zone — tripled from 115,000 in March to 410,571 in September before declining to 279,000 by October.

The food security situation has crossed into famine. In August 2025, famine was officially confirmed in Gaza Governorate, with projections indicating expansion to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. IPC data shows 570,980 people in Phase 4 (Emergency) and 1,885 in Phase 5 (Famine), while over 1 million are in Phase 3 (Crisis). The destruction of the agricultural base is near-total: 98.5% of cropland has been damaged or rendered inaccessible, with zero cropland available in Rafah or North Gaza. Nearly all cattle and poultry had been killed by end of 2024.

In the West Bank, Operation Iron Wall — launched on January 21, 2025 — has forcibly displaced 31,919 Palestinians from refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas. Some 602 buildings have been completely destroyed and 1,450 severely or moderately damaged, with 436 additional structures issued demolition orders affecting approximately 1,400 homes.

A $3.9 Billion Funding Cliff

The OPT Flash Appeal is the largest country-level humanitarian appeal in the world, requiring $4.06 billion for 2026 — roughly in line with 2025's $4.07 billion ask. Yet the trajectory of funding has collapsed. In 2024, the appeal achieved 86.8% coverage with $2.97 billion received against $3.42 billion required. In 2025, coverage dropped to 58.1%. As of early 2026, only $211 million has been received — just 5.2% of the requirement, leaving a $3.85 billion gap.

The donor landscape has shifted. The United States remains the largest bilateral donor, contributing $620 million in 2024 and $568 million in 2025. But early 2026 data shows the UAE and EU-ECHO dominating the initial response at 41.5% and 30.9% respectively, with the US notably absent from the top contributors thus far. The OPT Humanitarian Fund (CBPF) allocated $105.3 million in 2025 — more than double the $48.5 million in 2024 — with Sweden, the UK, and the Netherlands as top pooled fund contributors.

Top Donors by Year

Maximum Severity Across Nearly Every Dimension

PRISM's protection risk assessment rates OPT at maximum severity (5 out of 5) on 13 of 15 protection risk categories — from attacks on civilians and gender-based violence to torture, arbitrary detention, and presence of explosive ordnance. Only forced recruitment of children (scored 3) falls below the maximum. This represents a saturation of the severity scale that is virtually unmatched globally.

The Gaza Protection Monitoring System (PMS), drawing on 212 key informant interviews and 402 household surveys conducted between December 2025 and January 2026, provides granular community-level data. 86% of respondents reported attacks on civilians and unlawful killings as their top concern — up from 82% at the August 2024 baseline. Movement restrictions and forced displacement were cited by 85%, while the presence of explosive ordnance (70%) and child, early or forced marriage (48%, up from 44%) both showed upward trends.

In the West Bank, the protection environment has deteriorated sharply. 85% of protection service partners report a significant deterioration since October 2023, with 95% identifying a significant or moderate increase in risks. The data reveals a profoundly gendered dimension: 97% of deaths and injuries occurred among men and boys, driven by what the analysis terms "gendered securitisation" — the construction of male Palestinian identity as inherently threatening to justify lethal force.

The World's Most Dangerous Conflict

The ACLED Conflict Index classifies OPT at the "Extreme" level — ranked #1 globally as of December 2025, with the highest scores worldwide on both the Diffusion and Danger sub-indices. Political violence events tracked by ACLED surged from 5,501 in 2022 to 10,929 in 2023 following the October 7 escalation, then peaked at 18,493 in 2024 before declining to 14,868 in 2025. Even with partial 2026 data (478 events through January), the trajectory remains extreme.

The INFORM Risk Index assigns Palestine an overall score of 6.2 (High), ranking 22nd globally. The human hazard dimension drives this rating, with projected conflict probability at the maximum 10.0 and current conflict intensity at 7.8. The uprooted people indicator is also maxed at 10.0, reflecting the unprecedented scale of displacement. Natural hazards, by contrast, contribute relatively little risk (1.6), though earthquake exposure (4.8) and epidemic risk (4.1) remain notable.

Mass Detention, Documented Torture, and Near-Total Impunity

As of October 31, 2025, 9,204 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including 3,368 under administrative detention without charge or trial, 1,205 classified as "unlawful combatants," and 3,389 in remand. Among them are 350 children (175 under administrative detention) and 47 women. In the broader West Bank context, 49,183 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces since October 2023, with 99% being male.

OHCHR has verified 79 deaths in Israeli detention since October 2023, with the West Bank Protection Analysis documenting 585 men and boys who have died in custody. Documented torture methods include waterboarding, stress positions, prolonged starvation, sexual violence, and solitary confinement. Reports detail gang rape of a male journalist over 3-4 hours with prolonged denial of medical treatment, and a 12-year-old girl subjected to strip searches.

Accountability remains virtually nonexistent. Between January 2017 and October 2025, 1,521 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces in law enforcement operations. Of these, only 112 deaths were opened for criminal investigation, 29 were closed without action, just 2 led to indictments, and only 1 resulted in a conviction — a reservist sentenced to seven months for abusing detainees. During the current reporting period, zero indictments were issued for killings in West Bank law enforcement operations.

57.5 Million Tonnes of Debris — and a $120M Funding Gap

The scale of explosive ordnance contamination in Gaza is staggering. An estimated 57.5 million tonnes of debris is scattered across the territory, according to UNOSAT assessments. In 2025, the Mine Action Area of Responsibility (MA AoR) conducted 180 Explosive Hazard Assessments, supported 568 inter-agency missions, and delivered explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) to 1.5 million individuals. EOD teams have assessed 6.4 million square metres of land, confirming 2.64 million m² as low risk — but this represents a fraction of what is needed.

For 2026, the Mine Action AoR requires $134 million (Gaza: $130M, West Bank: $4M), yet only $14.1 million has been secured — leaving a gap of $119.9 million. The 2025 Flash Appeal for mine action achieved 78% overall, but with a stark disparity: Gaza reached 91% coverage while the West Bank secured just 24%. Since October 2023, 470+ victims of explosive ordnance have been recorded in Gaza — a figure acknowledged as underestimated — with 267 victims referred to services in 2025, including 120 children.

Palestinian Asylum Applications in Europe at Record Levels

Palestinian asylum applications in the EU-27 have surged in direct correlation with the conflict. Total applications rose from 15,315 in 2022 to 24,025 in 2023 — a 57% increase — then reached 24,590 in 2024, a new all-time high. Over the full 2008–2024 period, 142,275 Palestinians have applied for asylum in European countries, with applications concentrated in Germany, Greece, and Sweden.

The enforcement dimension is equally telling. Eurostat records 465 Palestinian border refusals, 299 findings of illegal presence, 260 orders to leave, and 148 returns across EU member states during the same period. The gap between orders to leave and actual returns — roughly 43% — suggests both practical and legal barriers to deportation given the active conflict.

Operation Iron Wall and the Escalation of War-Like Tactics

The West Bank has seen a marked escalation in Israeli military operations employing tactics previously confined to active war zones. Operation Iron Wall, launched on January 21, 2025, has targeted refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas. OHCHR has verified 92 Palestinians killed in the operation — 72 men, 3 women, 15 boys, and 2 girls — the majority unarmed and posing no imminent threat.

Across the broader reporting period, 255 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank. The breakdown is revealing: 130 were killed while posing no threat whatsoever, 33 while throwing stones or Molotov cocktails without presenting imminent danger, and 74 in exchanges of fire. Air-to-ground missiles, previously rare in West Bank operations, have become routine — including a strike in January 2025 that killed an 8-year-old and 10-year-old boy along with a 23-year-old unarmed man. In February 2025, an eight-month pregnant woman was shot while fleeing Nur Shams camp.

The physical destruction mirrors a conflict zone: 602 buildings completely destroyed, 1,450 severely or moderately damaged, and 436 further structures under demolition orders. Settler violence has escalated in both frequency and severity, expanding alongside illegal settlement and outpost construction across the West Bank.

Urgent Priorities for the International Community

The following recommendations are drawn from OHCHR, the Mine Action AoR, and protection analysis assessments. They reflect the minimum requirements for preventing further deterioration of what is already the world's most severe humanitarian crisis.