Before the headlines.
Behind the crisis.
The blockade, successive conflicts and a dated humanitarian snapshot preserved from the earlier website.
Figures below carry their original reporting dates. The October 2026 snapshot is separate from the 2023–2025 decision archive.
Life under blockade.
In 2007, Israel tightened existing restrictions into a land, sea and air blockade. Egypt has also restricted travel through Rafah, Gaza’s crossing on its southern border.
The blockade affected everyday decisions: whether someone could leave for medical treatment, visit family, study abroad or sell goods outside Gaza. Restrictions on building materials and equipment made it harder to repair homes, hospitals and water systems.
OCHA’s 2022 review described a population largely cut off from the outside world, with high unemployment and widespread reliance on food aid. These conditions existed long before the war that began in October 2023.
Historical figures from OCHA’s June 2022 blockade briefing.
A generation growing up through war.
Children born at the start of the blockade grew up through successive wars. Families lost relatives, homes and livelihoods, often before they had recovered from the previous round of fighting. The timeline also includes the Great March of Return protests, which were met with lethal force.
Operation Cast Lead
Three weeks of Israeli air and ground attacks followed the breakdown of a ceasefire and escalating rocket fire. UN investigators examined violations of international law during the conflict.
Operation Pillar of Defense
Eight days of Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket fire killed civilians and damaged homes and infrastructure in Gaza.
Operation Protective Edge
The war lasted 51 days. UN reporting recorded more than 2,000 Palestinians killed, alongside widespread destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure.
Great March of Return
Palestinians protested near the perimeter fence, demanding an end to the blockade and recognition of refugee rights. Israeli forces killed and wounded demonstrators; a UN commission investigated the shootings.
Eleven-day war
Israeli bombardment and Palestinian rocket attacks continued for eleven days. In Gaza, homes, roads and medical facilities were damaged or destroyed.
Further escalations
Further rounds of fighting killed more people in Gaza. By October 2023, families had already lived through sixteen years of blockade and successive conflicts.
Since October 2023.
On 7 October 2023, Palestinian armed groups attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages. Killing civilians deliberately and taking hostages violate international law.
Israel’s ensuing offensive devastated Gaza. Families were forced from their homes, often repeatedly. Hospitals, schools and water systems were damaged or destroyed, while restrictions on essential supplies left people struggling to get food, clean water and medical care.
The ceasefire agreement announced in October 2025 did not end the humanitarian crisis. In its report dated 2 October 2026, OCHA described continuing insecurity, shortages of supplies and funding, and families facing winter in damaged buildings and displacement sites. Aid organisations warned that a lack of funding would reduce food distributions from October.
Figures from OCHA’s report dated 2 October 2026, published 5 October. For subsequent reports, see OCHA’s updates.