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A total of 69 Palestinians lost their homes on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, after Israeli authorities approved the demolition of their residential building in the At Tur neighborhood of East Jerusalem. According to UN News, citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, more than half of those affected were children. Humanitarian partners have assessed the families' urgent needs and provided initial assistance.
Largest displacement since 2009
OCHA said the demolition in At Tur caused the largest number of people to be displaced in a single demolition incident in occupied East Jerusalem since UN record-keeping began in 2009. The building in which they lived was demolished after receiving approval from Israeli authorities.
The affected families told the UN and humanitarian partners on the ground that Israeli forces prevented them from retrieving belongings from inside the building. Their possessions were then buried beneath the rubble. This added to the urgent needs of families who suddenly lost their homes and everyday necessities.
Assistance for affected families
UN aid partners assessed the families' immediate needs following the demolition. The support provided included rental assistance and essential items. Aid teams also provided emergency shelter and psychosocial support to residents affected by home demolitions in the occupied territory.
According to OCHA, Israeli authorities have demolished or forced owners to demolish homes occupied by more than 1,800 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem so far this year. Most of the buildings were demolished because they lacked Israeli-issued building permits. OCHA said such permits are rarely granted to Palestinians in the affected areas.
Gaza water services face obstacles
In Gaza, OCHA also reported that water and sanitation support was being hampered by funding shortages and restrictions on the entry of essential supplies. Restricted items include engine oil, spare parts, and equipment needed to keep vehicles and machinery operating.
Humanitarian partners said the shortages had reduced water production at two desalination plants in southern Gaza because the equipment could not be properly maintained. This has led to drinking water rationing for about 500,000 people in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Across Gaza, an estimated three out of every four families depend on water delivered by truck until infrastructure can be fully restored.
Aid partners distribute 25,000 cubic meters of drinking water each day through 3,200 collection points. However, transport vehicles require maintenance, while access to several areas is frequently suspended because of security conditions.
Waste management also disrupted
Aid organizations have distributed thousands of trash bins, bags, sponges, and cleaning tools. Other assistance included 3,000 liters of dishwashing soap, 4,600 gloves and masks, nearly 1,300 liters of bleach, more than 200 latrines, and hundreds of hygiene kits.
Shortages of items subject to entry restrictions have also left solid-waste collection vehicles inoperable. Waste collection and transport have consequently relied on donkey carts and UN trucks. OCHA stressed the need to approve the entry of these items, restore access to two landfills near Gaza's boundary, and ensure sustained funding for fuel to prevent garbage from accumulating in populated areas.
