MORE than 737,000 people have been newly displaced in Gaza since Israeli military operations intensified in March, according to the United Nations, marking a severe deepening of the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
Bernama-Anadolu, citing figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), spokesperson Stéphanie Tremblay told reporters in New York that over 11,500 people had been displaced between 8 and 15 July alone.
“That brings overall displacement since the latest escalation of hostilities on 18 March to over 737,000 people — that’s about 35 per cent of Gaza’s population,” said Tremblay. “And over the past 21 months, nearly everyone has been displaced, typically multiple times.”
Tremblay added that recent Israeli airstrikes have hit locations sheltering displaced persons, with reports of injuries and fatalities. She reiterated that despite growing humanitarian needs, only limited aid is reaching the territory.
Tremblay described the first delivery of benzene in over 135 days as “a small but important step forward”, underscoring its necessity for fuelling ambulances and essential services. However, she stressed, “it’s not enough.”
In response to an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, she said UN Secretary-General António Guterres “strongly condemns today’s reports of an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, a place of worship and a sanctuary for civilians.”
“Attacks on places of worship are unacceptable. People seeking shelter must be respected and protected, not hit by strikes,” she added, renewing calls for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access.
“The Secretary-General reiterates his call on all parties to ensure that civilians are respected and protected at all times and allow humanitarian aid to flow into the Strip at scale,” Tremblay said.
Responding to a query from Anadolu regarding reports that Israeli authorities have reassigned administrative control of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to a settler council, Tremblay said the UN had not yet reviewed the report but reaffirmed the organisation’s stance: “We always call for the protection of all religious sites.”
According to Israeli media, Tel Aviv has removed Hebron municipality’s authority over the mosque, formally known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs, and handed control to a settler body. The site is holy to both Muslims and Jews and has long been a flashpoint in the conflict.
The decision marks the first significant change to the mosque’s governance since the 1994 Shamgar Commission recommendation, which allocated 63 per cent of the site to Jewish worship and 37 per cent to Muslims, following the massacre of 29 Palestinian worshippers by an Israeli settler.
Located in Hebron’s Old City — an area under full Israeli control — the mosque sits amidst a heavily guarded enclave of roughly 400 Israeli settlers protected by 1,500 Israeli troops. - July 18, 2025
