Three Years of War: Saudi Arabia Provides Lifeline as Gaza Faces Long Road to Recovery

Three years of war have left the Gaza Strip in abysmal humanitarian conditions, struggling to restore normal life and embark on the road to recovery, despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreement reached last year.

However, Saudi Arabia offers a silver lining to the people of Gaza, sustaining its relief efforts and humanitarian aid to the Strip through the Kingdom’s humanitarian arm, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief).

Saudi Lifeline to Gazans

Driving the News: Over the past few days, KSrelief has supported Gaza with food, water, and relief aid, as part of its sustained campaign to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the besieged enclave.

This humanitarian aid covered several areas:

• Food Security: Distributing 25,000 hot meals in central and southern Gaza, as well as 749 food baskets for 4,494 beneficiaries in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. KSrelief also distributed food baskets and drinking water to displaced people in camps in the Al-Mashtal area in northern Gaza.
• Water Security: Pumping 500,000 liters of potable water across various governorates of the Strip through its urgent humanitarian response project.
• Relief Aid: Sending a relief convoy carrying shelter tents for displaced families ahead of winter through KSrelief’s local partner, the Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage.
• Education: Signing an agreement with the Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage to establish and operate the Riyadh School Al-Namudhajiyah in Deir al-Balah, offering basic education for 720 students from first through sixth grade.

Why It Matters: The aid supplies underscore Saudi Arabia’s steadfast commitment to providing relief to Palestinians in Gaza, alleviating their suffering and improving their living conditions amid the current crisis.

A Sustained Humanitarian Push

Zoom In:  Saudi Arabia is a steadfast supporter of Palestine, advocating for the rights of the Palestinian people to have their own independent state and live a dignified life. The Kingdom’s humanitarian aid to Gaza has reached approximately SAR 1.8 billion ($480 million), covering various sectors, such as health, food security, education, early recovery, logistics, and water and environmental sanitation.

Three main bodies channel this aid:

• KSrelief: Since its establishment in 2015, KSrelief has provided over $545 million in aid across 156 projects in Gaza.
• UNRWA: Saudi Arabia is one of the largest donors to UNRWA, providing a total of $835 million in development and humanitarian assistance through UNRWA over the years.
• SFD: The Saudi Fund for Development has contributed $13.9 million specifically to back the agency’s education, healthcare, and relief programs.

Three Years of Agony

State of Play: The Israeli war on Gaza, which broke out on October 7, 2023, has devastated the Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, displacing 1.9 million of its population, shattering the economy, destroying homes and infrastructure, and depriving Gazans of basic services, food, healthcare, and education.

Despite signing a ceasefire agreement in October 2025 to end the war, with the mediation of the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, Israeli troops still occupy two-thirds of Gaza and strikes continue across the Strip, killing more people and blocking reconstruction efforts.

By the Numbers: (Gaza Health Ministry)

• 74,254 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, most of them women and children.
• 175,306 people have been injured since the start of the war.
• 1,471 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect.
• 5,189 people have been injured since the ceasefire took effect.

The Struggle to Survive

Go Deeper: According to an assessment by the UN, the World Bank, and the European Union (EU), as of April 2026, the conflict has caused a total physical and economic damage valued at $57.9 billion. Meanwhile, recovery and reconstruction will cost an estimated $71.4 billion.

Between the Lines: In May 2026, the UN Human Rights Office said that Israel’s conduct in Gaza since October 7, 2023 has involved “gross violations” of international humanitarian law, which amounted to war crimes and other atrocity crimes in many cases. The agency’s report found that the totality of Israeli conduct in Gaza raises serious concern about Israel’s compliance with its obligation to prevent acts within the scope of the Genocide Convention.

Israel has faced mounting accusations of committing genocide in Gaza. In September 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory concluded that Israel committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited these acts.

In His Words: “Civilians continue to endure intolerable conditions. Their suffering, too, demands an end – now.” – António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, said on the third anniversary of the war.

The Road to Peace

Looking Ahead: As the current political deadlock obstructs reconstruction plans and exacerbates the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, Saudi Arabia adopts a dual approach: sustaining a humanitarian lifeline on the ground while ramping up diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.

The Bottom Line: As the war in Gaza enters its fourth year, Saudi relief efforts prove instrumental in meeting the essential needs of Palestinian people and easing their living burdens. It also underscores the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to advocating for the right of Palestinians to a dignified life and a permanent political settlement to the conflict.