Daily Peace and Crisis Report

Compiled February 25, 2026, 08:05 AEDT

Gaza and Palestine

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues to deepen as the conflict, now in its second year, shows no signs of abating. According to the latest UN OCHA Reported Impact Snapshot (18 February 2026), the Palestinian death toll has reached 72,063 as of February 16, with 171,726 people reported wounded. Of the 67,173 identified fatalities, 20,179 are children, 10,427 are women, and 4,813 are elderly. A groundbreaking peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet Global Health and reported by Al Jazeera estimates the actual violent death toll at 75,200 for the first 15 months of the conflict alone — 34.7% higher than official Ministry of Health figures for the same period. The study also identified an additional 16,300 non-violent deaths, including 8,540 excess deaths caused by the collapse of healthcare and the humanitarian blockade.

Despite a ceasefire framework declared on October 10, 2025, at least 603 people have been killed since that declaration, according to the OCHA snapshot. On the Israeli side, over 1,200 personnel have been killed and approximately 5,400 injured, with 472 soldiers killed and 3,004 injured in Gaza operations.

The UN Human Rights Office has raised serious concerns about ethnic cleansing in both Gaza and the West Bank, citing intensified violence and forcible transfers by Israeli authorities (OHCHR, February 18, 2026). On February 24, Human Rights Watch reported that Israel plans to bar 37 international NGOs from operating in Gaza and the West Bank from March 1, 2026, further restricting humanitarian access.

West Bank Annexation

Tensions in the occupied West Bank are escalating sharply. Israel's security cabinet ratified measures on February 15 to begin land registration across Area C — approximately 60% of the West Bank — effectively reclassifying Palestinian land as Israeli "state land." Foreign ministers from 19 countries, including Turkey, Qatar, France, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, issued a joint statement condemning the move as a "de facto annexation" and a "deliberate and direct attack on the viability of the Palestinian State." (Al Jazeera, February 24, 2026.) The International Court of Justice has previously ruled that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful, and approximately 465,000 Israeli settlers now reside in the West Bank across more than 300 settlements.

Ukraine and Russia — Fourth Anniversary of Full-Scale Invasion

February 24, 2026 marks exactly four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the war continues to grind on with no end in sight. European leaders, including European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, travelled to Kyiv to mark the anniversary and reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine. The EU Parliament has approved a €90 billion Ukraine support loan package. (Al Jazeera.)

The human cost of the war is staggering. According to a CBC News/Associated Press analysis, total military casualties on both sides have reached up to 1.8 million killed, wounded, or missing. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates Russia has suffered 1.2 million casualties including up to 325,000 deaths — the largest troop death toll for any major power since World War II. Ukraine has seen 500,000 to 600,000 military casualties including up to 140,000 deaths, though Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated in February that 55,000 Ukrainian troops have died. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has confirmed at least 14,999 civilian deaths and over 40,600 civilian injuries, with 763 children killed. The year 2025 was the deadliest for civilians since 2022, with 2,514 civilians killed and 12,142 injured — a 31% increase over 2024.

Russia currently occupies 19.4% of Ukrainian territory, having gained just 0.79% over the past year. Some 5.9 million Ukrainian civilians have fled the country. The World Bank estimates that rebuilding Ukraine will cost $588 billion over the next decade.

On the diplomatic front, the second round of US-mediated peace talks in Geneva (February 17–18) ended without a breakthrough. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy accused Russia of "trying to drag out" the process, while the Trump administration reportedly aims to reach a peace agreement by July 4, 2026. Hungary's veto blocked a new EU sanctions package against Russia, drawing sharp criticism from EU partners. (Reuters.)

Russian Perspective: Russia's President Putin has stated that Ukraine and its allies are "pushing themselves to the edge" in their determination to defeat Moscow and will "regret" it. Russia denies Western assessments of its military losses, having not released battlefield death figures since January 2023. (Russia Matters.)

Sudan

Sudan's civil war, now in its second year, continues to generate one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. On February 24, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a large-scale assault on a stronghold of a Darfur tribal leader in North Darfur, killing at least 28 civilians and wounding 39 others, including 10 women, according to a local doctors' group. (Sudan Tribune.) The attack prompted Chad to shut its border with Sudan after a cross-border incursion killed five Chadian troops on February 23. (Al Jazeera.)

The broader conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and forced 11 million to flee their homes. UNHCR reports 7.1 million internally displaced people within Sudan and 4.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers in neighbouring countries. Over 30 million people require humanitarian assistance. The UN Security Council held a briefing on Sudan on February 18, with calls for more international support. (Security Council Report.) The International Institute for Strategic Studies has identified new openings for peace, though the situation remains highly volatile with South Sudan's civil war reigniting and tensions rising between Eritrea and Ethiopia. (IISS.)

Democratic Republic of Congo

The conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) escalated on February 24 when Willy Ngoma, a senior spokesperson for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, was killed in a predawn drone strike near the mining town of Rubaya in North Kivu province. The strike was described by a UN official and a rights group as a significant setback to peace efforts. (AP News.) The killing came weeks after Congo and M23 rebels agreed to a ceasefire, which both parties have accused each other of violating. Fighting resumed in eastern DRC on February 23 in violation of the ceasefire deal. (Africa News.)

The conflict, which escalated dramatically in January 2025 when M23 rebels made an unprecedented advance into Goma and Bukavu, has created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced. The United States and Qatar are actively brokering peace efforts, but clashes have continued despite these diplomatic initiatives.

South Sudan

Renewed fighting in South Sudan's Jonglei state has displaced nearly 280,000 civilians in recent weeks, with the UN warning of a "perfect storm" of conflict, climate shocks, and deprivation. Clashes between the South Sudan People's Defence Forces and the SPLA-in-Opposition resumed in late December, triggering large-scale displacement across eight counties. Three humanitarian workers were killed between February 7 and 16 in Jonglei and Upper Nile states, and 13 health facilities have been damaged or looted. (UN News, February 23, 2026.)

The fighting has also fuelled a cholera outbreak, with 106 new cases and 3 deaths reported in the week of February 11–17. Since the outbreak began in September 2024, more than 98,000 cases and 1,624 deaths have been recorded nationwide. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, who visited the country for a five-day mission, described "devastating stories of sexual violence, of hunger and starvation, of children arriving who have lost everything."

Somalia

Somalia is facing a rapidly deteriorating hunger crisis, with the number of people experiencing acute food insecurity nearly doubling in a year. A new analysis published on February 24 by the IPC food security monitoring platform found that 6.5 million Somalis are now facing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above), compared to 3.4 million during the first quarter of 2025. Over 2 million are at emergency level (Phase 4). (UN News, February 24, 2026.)

More than 1.84 million children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition, with 483,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition. The crisis is driven by the failure of the October–December rainy season, ongoing conflict and insecurity, and significant reductions in humanitarian funding. The IPC called for an urgent scale-up of lifesaving assistance to hotspot areas.

Haiti

A joint report by the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), published on February 20, details the widespread trafficking of children by Haitian gangs, warning that the situation threatens the country's long-term stability. Most of the 26 gangs currently operating in Haiti are involved in child trafficking, subjecting children to exploitation ranging from running errands and collecting extortion payments to kidnappings, targeted killings, and sexual violence. (OHCHR, February 20, 2026.)

As of 2024, the UN estimated that more than 500,000 children were living in areas under gang control. Gang violence has forced more than 1.4 million people to flee their homes, more than half of whom are children. Haitian police killed 16 suspected gang members in an anti-gang sweep on February 23. (OCCRP.)

Myanmar

The civil war in Myanmar continues to intensify, with at least 209 military operations and attacks targeting civilians recorded in a single week in February, according to the National League for Transparency and Accountability (NLTA). (Mizzima, February 24, 2026.) Myanmar now records the world's highest number of landmine casualties, according to the 2025 Landmine Monitor report. Military junta forces are advancing on the last resistance town in the Mandalay region, with thousands of civilians fleeing drone strikes as the regime targets Tagaung. A junta-staged election, which reported approximately 54% voter turnout, has been widely condemned as a sham designed to legitimise military rule.

International Diplomacy and Peace Efforts

On the diplomatic front, the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted a flurry of international activity. European leaders gathered in Kyiv, G7 nations issued a joint statement calling for a negotiated end to the war, and the UN General Assembly held an emergency special session on Ukraine. The UN Security Council also held a high-level briefing on the anniversary. Despite these efforts, the second round of US-mediated peace talks in Geneva ended without a breakthrough, with key sticking points including the future of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory and postwar security guarantees for Ukraine. (Security Council Report.)

On the Gaza peace framework, negotiations continue on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, with talks ongoing in Washington D.C. Trump's "Board of Peace" met in Washington and secured approximately $7 billion in commitments for Gaza's reconstruction. However, the situation on the ground remains dire, with ongoing Israeli military operations and the planned exclusion of 37 international NGOs from March 1.

The UN Secretary-General's noon briefing on February 24 highlighted ongoing diplomatic efforts across multiple conflict zones, including negotiations on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2797 on Gaza and continued calls for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. (UN Secretary-General.)

Key Statistics

Note: Statistics are drawn from the most recent available data as of the compilation date. Casualty figures in active conflicts are subject to revision. The statistics table includes only rows with verified casualty data; humanitarian displacement and food insecurity figures are reported in the narrative sections above.