Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

Flow of vital aid into Gaza remains suspended

OCHA reports that the Kerem Shalom, Zikim and Erez crossings remain closed for cargo for the third consecutive day. 

OCHA says the Israeli authorities have rejected UN attempts to collect humanitarian supplies that crossed Kerem Shalom before the closure.

Given the huge needs in Gaza, keeping the crossings closed will have devastating consequences for a population that has just begun to recover from months of deprivation and hunger.

It is critical that Member States and those with influence use all available means to ensure the ceasefire holds.

Despite recent developments, the UN and its humanitarian partners on the ground are doing all they can to sustain aid operations across the Gaza Strip. 

Yesterday in Gaza city, the dialysis unit at the Al Rantisi Children’s Hospital resumed services, along with the operation of the 25-bed in-patient section. Meanwhile, at the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza, pediatric services resumed yesterday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that today, 29 child patients were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan via Israel for specialized medical treatment, along with 43 companions. Most of the children are in need of trauma, cancer and ophthalmological care. This was the first WHO-supported medical evacuation to Jordan since the ceasefire. 

Inside the Gaza Strip, WHO says it has provided hygiene and sanitation supplies to meet the needs of thousands of women and girls.

WHO warns that the lack of water and sanitation threatens the health, dignity and survival of women and girls, increasing anxiety and stress levels and deepening the mental health crisis among those displaced.

Further casualties, displacement reported in Jenin

In the West Bank, Israeli forces’ operation in Jenin refugee camp continued and expanded to the eastern part of Jenin city, resulting in more death, destruction and displacement.

Israeli forces ordered residents in this part of Jenin city to evacuate their homes, displacing about 30 families, including at least three who had been displaced previously. 

During the operation, Israeli forces used bulldozers, damaging infrastructure and causing power outages. Intensified access and movement restrictions to and from the city were also recorded. 

OCHA highlights that these operations are sweeping in scale, marked by mass forced displacement, extensive destruction of Palestinian property and humanitarian infrastructure, and the escalating needs of affected communities.

#Democratic Republic of the Congo

Violence in eastern DRC threatens civilians, aid operations

The Humanitarian Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bruno Lemarquis, has expressed deep concern over the recent increase in targeted violence against civilians – including humanitarian workers – and civilian infrastructure in the east of the country.

In a statement, Lemarquis stressed that these attacks – including the abduction of dozens of patients from two hospitals that the UN reported yesterday – are serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

These attacks also pose a direct threat to humanitarian operations providing relief to millions of civilians in need, based on the principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.

Lemarquis called on all parties to meet their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians – including aid workers – and civilian infrastructure. 

Meanwhile, OCHA reports a spike in cholera cases in the city of Uvira, some 130 kilometers south of South Kivu’s provincial capital, Bukavu. Partners working in health are concerned about risks of the disease spreading among communities. Some 25,000 people have fled to Uvira since mid-February, and the city is facing water shortages and has limited resources to treat cholera.

In Ituri province, north of North Kivu, local authorities report that more than 16,000 people have fled clashes in the territory of Djugu since 27 February. In recent weeks, the area has seen an escalation in clashes and attacks by armed groups, resulting in civilian casualties and displacement.

#Syria

Aid to northern Syria continues via key border crossings

OCHA welcomes the extension by the caretaker authorities in Syria for the UN to continue to deliver humanitarian assistance through the Bab al-Salam and Al-Ra'ee crossing for an additional six months, until 3 September of this year.

Bab Al-Salam and Al-Ra'ee provide direct routes to Aleppo, where some 4 million people need assistance.

The UN also continues to use these crossings to conduct cross-border humanitarian missions to monitor projects, carry out assessments and engage with partners and communities.

Since the start of 2025, more than 520 trucks trucks carrying UN aid – including food, health and other critical supplies – have crossed from Türkiye through these two border points, as well as through the Bab al-Hawa crossing, marking a substantial increase compared to the same period last year.

This afternoon, nearly two dozen trucks carrying 300 metric tons of World Food Programme aid – enough for 174,000 people – as well as agricultural supplies from the Food and Agriculture Organization, crossed from Türkiye to Syria through the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing.