Viral meningitis is spreading rapidly across the Gaza Strip. The United Nations warned on Thursday that severe overcrowding, battered water and sanitation networks, and critical shortages of medical treatments are driving up transmission risks throughout the enclave.
Acute respiratory infections were the most prevalent health condition reported in Gaza during September. UN associate spokesperson Shirin Yaseen announced the figures to reporters in New York, citing a recent report from the World Health Organization.
Yaseen called for the immediate lifting of restrictions on humanitarian supplies. She urged member states to provide funding to scale up health services and allow the entry of specialised equipment, engine oil, and spare parts.
The health warning came after a UN warehouse in Khan Younis sustained damage from flying debris during an Israeli airstrike. Yaseen confirmed that no UN personnel suffered injuries in the blast.
Humanitarian partners mobilised rapid-response support after approximately 100 Palestinian families lost their tents and belongings over the preceding week. Those losses stemmed from airstrikes, fires, and other incidents. Yaseen reiterated that all parties must uphold their obligations to protect civilians and humanitarian workers.
In the occupied West Bank, roughly 3,000 Palestinians remain displaced from two neighbourhoods in Hebron. Municipality figures relayed by UN humanitarian partners indicate that Israeli forces are still operating in those areas, blocking entry and imposing strict movement restrictions across the governorate.
Yaseen stated that ongoing Israeli raids are cutting local residents off from their livelihoods, schools, and essential healthcare services. She demanded that displaced residents be allowed to return safely and voluntarily while calling for an end to further demolitions and forced displacement.
Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Hebron on 24 October following an attack that left two Israeli soldiers dead at a checkpoint. Troops conducted searches and demolitions in the Al-Jaladah and Ein Deir Baha neighbourhoods. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reported that military forces detained at least 47 Palestinians across Hebron during the initial days of the operation.
The October 2025 ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump has failed to halt military attacks in Gaza. Territory officials state that at least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed since the truce took effect. Israel has reported four troop fatalities over the same period.
