According to the UN humanitarian office, over 400,000 Palestinians have been displaced within the Gaza Strip due to a large-scale Israeli air campaign. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that the majority of people in Gaza no longer have access to clean drinking water as the water network and desalination/purification plants have ceased operations. Consequently, people are consuming brackish water from agricultural wells, raising concerns about the spread of waterborne diseases.

On Friday, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to 1.1 million residents in northern Gaza, instructing them to relocate south within 24 hours. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have fled south following this order. The UN cautioned that it would be impossible for Palestinians in Gaza to comply with the evacuation order without facing severe humanitarian consequences.

The Israeli forces launched a forceful and sustained military campaign against the Gaza Strip in response to a military offensive conducted by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories. The conflict originated when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a surprise attack involving rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air. Hamas said they were retaliating against the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and the increasing violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

In response, the Israeli military commenced Operation Swords of Iron, targeting Hamas within the Gaza Strip. This response has included cutting off water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further exacerbating the already dire living conditions in an area that has been under a crippling siege since 2007.

Since the conflict erupted, more than 3,300 individuals have lost their lives, including 1,900 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.