Humanitarian agencies warned on Saturday that Gaza and Lebanon remain in a critical state as fragile ceasefires are increasingly strained by renewed military activity, leaving civilians exposed and recovery efforts stalled.
Gaza: Rising toll despite truce
A ceasefire brokered on Oct. 10, 2025 has come under mounting pressure, with medical sources at Nasser and Al-Shifa hospitals reporting at least nine Palestinians killed in fresh strikes on Friday.
The Gaza Government Media Office said it had recorded more than 1,600 violations of the ceasefire since it began. The overall death toll in Gaza since October 2023 has surpassed 72,000, according to local health authorities, with more than 600 casualties reported during the current truce period.
Satellite analysis by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) indicates that over 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure has sustained damage. U.N. officials estimate reconstruction costs will exceed $70 billion, underscoring the scale of devastation facing the enclave.
Aid groups say repeated strikes and insecurity have hindered humanitarian operations. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said it had suspended some activities at facilities including Nasser Hospital due to the presence of armed personnel, raising concerns about the erosion of medical neutrality.
Lebanon: Ceasefire violations persist
In Lebanon, a truce established in November 2024 has failed to fully halt hostilities along the southern border.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said January 2026 recorded the highest monthly surge in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began. On Feb. 15, the Israeli military said it had carried out airstrikes on warehouses in southern Lebanon, alleging they contained Hezbollah weapons and rocket stockpiles.
U.N. human rights offices have verified at least 108 civilian casualties in Lebanon since the November 2024 ceasefire, including 21 women and 16 children.
About 64,000 Lebanese civilians remain displaced and unable to return to homes near the border due to security concerns and extensive property damage.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has documented thousands of air and ground violations of the Blue Line demarcation, describing what it called a “total disregard” for the cessation of hostilities.
International reaction
At the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for an immediate halt to what he described as the “extermination” of Palestinians and warned of spillover violence affecting Lebanon.
Meanwhile, U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has faced calls for resignation from several Western governments, including France and Germany, even as she has received backing from over 100 international artists and multiple U.N. member states for her reporting on human rights violations.
Outlook
Humanitarian agencies say sustained ceasefire violations and restricted aid access risk pushing both Gaza and southern Lebanon toward further escalation.
Without immediate diplomatic engagement and strengthened protections for civilians, millions could remain exposed to continued violence, displacement and worsening humanitarian conditions, U.N. officials said.
