Daily Peace and Crisis Report

Compiled Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Summary

See below for detail and source

Middle East

Gaza Strip

Israeli forces have expanded their lines of control westward in Gaza city, placing cement blocks to mark the so-called "Yellow Line" and triggering further displacement of Palestinian families. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights estimates Israeli forces now control roughly 64 percent of Gaza, up from 53 percent at the start of the October 2025 ceasefire, describing it as a policy of "creeping annexation" Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation remains dire with critical supply gaps. Fuel shortages have forced humanitarian partners to suspend non-critical services, and over 520 endoscopic and surgical procedures are at risk of being suspended due to a lack of high-level disinfection agents OCHA. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 72,996 since October 2023, including 981 fatalities since the October 2025 ceasefire announcement UNRWA.

West Bank

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the cancellation of the 1997 Hebron Agreement, stripping the Palestinian municipality of planning authority over the Old City and Ibrahimi Mosque Al Jazeera. Settler violence has also intensified, with two Palestinian herding families displaced near Birzeit following escalating attacks, and mosques torched in Jiljiliya and Mazraa al-Nubani OCHA; Al Jazeera. Since October 2023, 1,103 Palestinians, including at least 241 children, have been killed in the West Bank, with 57 killed since the beginning of 2026 UNRWA.

Iran–US Diplomacy and Lebanon

The United States and Iran have held their first direct high-level talks in Switzerland, reaching a preliminary agreement that includes a 60-day waiver on US sanctions on Iranian oil exports. However, significant disputes remain. While US Vice President JD Vance claimed Iran agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back to examine bombed nuclear sites, Iranian officials have denied this, stating there is no clear schedule for inspections NPR. The talks also led to the creation of a "de-confliction cell" aimed at maintaining a ceasefire in Lebanon, though violence flared again in southern Lebanon as Israeli soldiers opened fire, killing two people NPR.

Eastern Europe

Russia–Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine's envoy to the UN, Andrii Melnyk, warned that Kyiv may "recalibrate and modify" its offer of a ceasefire along the de facto front line if the UN Security Council fails to pass a resolution urging a full end to hostilities, stating that "our patience is not endless" The Guardian. This comes as Ukrainian forces conduct a series of long-range drone and missile strikes deep into Russian territory, targeting oil refineries, a satellite communications center near Moscow, and an electronics plant in Voronezh The Guardian. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed military graduates in the Kremlin, asserting that Western nations are no longer hiding their preparations for war with Russia and are using "false claims" about a Russian threat to justify increased military spending RT (Rus). Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces struck Ukrainian long-range UAV assembly workshops and inflicted over 1,295 casualties on Ukrainian troops across the frontline in the past 24 hours TASS (Rus). The UN reports that May 2026 saw the highest monthly civilian casualty toll in Ukraine since April 2022, with at least 274 civilians killed and 1,763 injured UN DPPA.

Africa

Sudan

The humanitarian and security crisis in Sudan continues to deteriorate, particularly around the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan. The UN Security Council and human rights organizations have warned of an "imminent risk of mass atrocities" as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) encircle the city Human Rights Watch. Escalating drone attacks in and around El Obeid have targeted a power substation, a fuel station, and key bridges, forcing the closure of medical facilities and water stations, severely disrupting essential services for civilians UN News. A separate UN Human Rights report has documented the widespread and brutal use of conflict-related sexual violence since April 2023, verifying 546 incidents affecting at least 838 victims, primarily attributed to the RSF and allied militias OHCHR.

Asia

Myanmar

A new report from the UN Human Rights Office details that Myanmar's military was responsible for at least 702 civilian deaths between August 2025 and January 2026, coinciding with the military-controlled election period. Airstrikes were the leading cause of casualties, accounting for 476 deaths, or 57 percent of the total The Irrawaddy. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that a sharp decline in foreign humanitarian assistance is compounding the suffering, forcing civil society groups and local protection initiatives to make deep program cuts, halting education initiatives, and downgrading emergency healthcare services Al Jazeera Public Liberties.

Statistics

Table 1 — Casualties (Killed / Wounded)

^#1 The vast majority of verified civilian casualties (1,973 of 2,037 total) occurred in Government-controlled areas of Ukraine in May 2026.

^#2 OHCHR access to Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory is severely restricted. The 64 figure represents combined killed and wounded verified by OHCHR in occupied territory in May 2026 — a significant undercount given access constraints. No independent killed/wounded split is available.

^#3 Includes the Starobilsk dormitory strike (21–22 May), which killed 21 civilians in occupied Luhansk region.

^#4 Russian civilian casualty figures for the Russian Federation are reported by Russian authorities. OHCHR collects this information but states it “is not able to regularly verify civilian casualties in the Russian Federation due to limited independent sources of information.” Figures are included here without editorial judgment.

Table 2 — Numbers (non-casualty figures)