Humanitarian Situation Update #328 | West Bank

The Humanitarian Situation Updates on the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank are both issued every Wednesday/Thursday. The Gaza Humanitarian Response Update is issued every other Tuesday. The next Humanitarian Situation Update on the West Bank will be published on 8 or 9 October.

Key Highlights

• Nearly 7,500 raids by Israeli forces into Palestinian towns and villages across the West Bank have taken place so far in 2025, a 37-per-cent increase compared with the same period in 2024.  
• Israeli settlers carried out 27 attacks against Palestinians in one week, killing one Palestinian in Ramallah governorate, injuring 17, causing property damage, and forcing the displacement of three families in the northern Jordan Valley.  
• Three Palestinian families in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan, in East Jerusalem, face an imminent risk of eviction from their homes. 
• Ahead of the start of the olive harvest season, farmers across the West Bank are facing severe access restrictions, widespread settler violence, and uncertainty over access to some of their lands. 

Humanitarian Developments

• Between 23 and 29 September, Israeli forces killed three Palestinian men and injured 29 others, including six children, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Israeli settlers killed a Palestinian man and injured 17 others during the same period (see section on settler attacks below). The following are details of the incidents that resulted in fatalities: 
  • On 24 September, Israeli forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man during a raid in the early hours of the morning in Anza village, in Jenin governorate. The raid is one of ongoing daily raids by Israeli forces in Jenin city and the surrounding villages of Sanur, Ya’bad, Hajja, and Anza.  
  • On 25 September, undercover Israeli forces killed and withheld the bodies of two Palestinian men during an exchange of fire in Tammun town, in Tubas governorate, after the forces surrounded an agricultural building. The Israeli military accused the two men of planning to carry out an imminent attack.  
  • On 28 September, a Palestinian man and a member of Israeli forces were killed when the Palestinian man allegedly attempted to ram a vehicle into members of Israeli forces near Jit junction, in Qalqiliya governorate. The body of the Palestinian man has been withheld by Israeli forces. Circumstances around the incident remain unclear.  
• Between 7 October 2023 and 29 September 2025, OCHA documented the withholding of the bodies of 199 Palestinians from the West Bank by Israeli forces, of whom seven were subsequently handed over and 192 remain withheld.   
• Following the above-mentioned alleged ramming attack in Qalqiliya governorate, Israeli forces imposed widespread movement restrictions across the northern West Bank; more than 10 road gates in Salfit and Qalqiliya governorates and five checkpoints surrounding Nablus city were shut, leaving thousands of Palestinians stranded for about six hours. Simultaneously, Israeli forces carried out multiple raids in Salfit city and Kafr ad Dik village, in Salfit governorate, and Azzun town, in Qalqiliya governorate, where they temporarily converted at least three Palestinian houses into military observation posts for about 24 hours before withdrawing.  
• Out of 29 Palestinians injured by Israeli forces, 19 were during raids and other operations by Israeli forces in Palestinian communities. Between 1 January and 29 September 2025, Israeli forces carried out nearly 7,500 raids and other operations in Palestinian towns and villages, entailing deployments of forces, house searches, arrests, field interrogations and/or movement restrictions. This represents at 37-per-cent increase compared with the corresponding period in 2024, when nearly 5,500 raids were documented.  

Lack-of-Permit and Punitive Demolitions 

• Between 23 and 29 September, OCHA documented the demolition of 13 Palestinian-owned structures for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain. Of the total, nine structures were in East Jerusalem and four in Area C, including four inhabited homes, two uninhabited residential structures, three agricultural and livelihood structures, a latrine, a restaurant and two walls. 
• Out of nine structures demolished in East Jerusalem, four were houses demolished by their owners, displacing 16 people, including five children. Palestinians in East Jerusalem are often forced to demolish their own homes and other structures following the receipt of demolition orders by Israeli authorities to avoid the payment of additional fines. These structures included five in Sur Bahir, two in the Old City, one in Qalandiya village, and one in Sharafat.  
• Separately, on 26 September, Israeli forces used explosives to demolish on punitive grounds a two-storey residential building, comprising two apartments, in Area B of Al Qubeiba village, in Jerusalem governorate. The upper floor apartment was one of the two homes sealed on 12 September, following a shooting attack on 8 September in Ramot Allon settlement in East Jerusalem, in which two Palestinians opened fire at a bus stop, killing six Israelis, before being shot and killed. As a result of the earlier sealing, 12 inhabitants of the two homes had already been displaced, while the demolition of the first-floor apartment resulted in the displacement of six people. During the 15-hour operation, Israeli forces evacuated 10 neighbouring buildings between midnight and 11:00 the following day. The demolition destroyed the targeted residence, rendered two nearby houses uninhabitable, and caused damage to five others. In total, 16 people, including five children, were displaced and six additional families comprising 30 people, including seven children, were otherwise affected.  
• Since 2009, OCHA has documented the displacement of over 1,060 Palestinians, including more than 400 children, due to the demolition or sealing of at least 177 homes and 33 other structures on punitive grounds across the West Bank. 
• In his report to the General Assembly on 20 September 2021, the UN Secretary-General emphasized: “Punitive house demolitions and withholding of bodies may amount to collective punishment (A/HRC/46/63, paras. 9–10), in violation of international humanitarian law. Such measures impose severe hardship on people for acts they have not committed, resulting in possible violations of a range of human rights, including the rights to family life, to adequate housing and to an adequate standard of living.”  

Eviction Threats in East Jerusalem   

• On 29 September, the Israeli Enforcement and Collection Authority handed eviction orders to six Palestinian households from three extended families from their homes in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan, in East Jerusalem, placing them at imminent risk of displacement. The families have reportedly reached the final stage of litigation and exhausted all legal remedies in Israeli courts. They are among more than 90 families, comprising over 450 people, including about 200 children, who are at risk of forced displacement due to eviction cases filed against them by Ateret Cohanim settler organization in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan. Following earlier endorsements by the Israeli Supreme Court of the eviction of five Palestinian families in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said in June 2025 that the “rulings were based on discriminatory laws that permit Jewish individuals to reclaim property lost in the 1948 war, while denying Palestinians the same rights.”   
• Earlier in September, the Jerusalem District Court rejected appeals by two families against eviction, imposed additional fees, and barred the families from demolishing their homes in Batn al Hawa area. On 16 September, the Israeli Supreme Court issued final eviction orders against five buildings belonging to the two families, comprising at least 20 housing units and placing about 26 households at imminent risk of displacement, with a one-month notice.  
• At least 243 Palestinian households in East Jerusalem have eviction cases filed against them in Israeli courts, the majority by settler organizations, placing more than 1,000 people, including over 460 children, at risk of forced displacement. Evictions have grave physical, social, economic and emotional impact on Palestinian families concerned. In addition to depriving the family of a home – its main asset and source of physical and economic security – evictions frequently result in disruption in livelihoods, increased poverty and a reduced standard of living. The high legal fees families incur when defending a case in court further strain already meagre financial resources. The impact on children can be particularly devastating, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and diminished academic achievement. Moreover, the establishment and continued presence of settlement compounds within Palestinian areas has significantly affected the daily lives of Palestinian residents, contributing to an increasingly coercive environment that may place additional pressure on them to leave. The main elements of this environment include increased friction; restrictions on movement and access; and a reduction on privacy due to the presence of private security guards and accompanying surveillance cameras. 

Operations in the Northern West Bank 

• Israeli operations continue across cities, towns and villages in the northern West Bank. On 24 September, Israeli forces conducted simultaneous raids in Ya’bad town, Sanur village, and Jenin city, disrupting schooling. In Ya’bad, forces raided the town at about 6:00, searched several houses, including the home of the head of the municipality, claiming that stones had been thrown at them. The presence of Israeli forces prevented students from attending school until the forces withdrew at about noon. In Sanur, also about 6:00, schools were delayed until 9:00 due to the raid. In Jenin city, Israeli forces reportedly obstructed the movement of several school buses and confiscated their keys, delaying the movement of students for an hour. 
• Operations by Israeli forces in Jenin city further intensified since 25 September, with infantry units carrying out daytime patrols focused on the central trading square and areas in the centre of the city, adjacent to Jenin Camp. These patrols, part of the ongoing operation launched in January 2025, have included multiple raids on commercial shops, pharmacies and residential homes, contributing to an atmosphere of insecurity and uncertainty for residents.  
• Separately, in Tulkarm governorate, on 29 September, Israeli forces emptied the contents of a residential building in the “Abu Safieh” neighbourhood, adjacent to Tulkarm Camp, three weeks after residents were forced to evacuate from the area, which was designated between 31 August and 1 September by the Israeli military as part of a “military zone.”  The removal of families’ personal belongings reportedly took place without prior notice and, in coordination with the Palestinian District Coordination Liaison (DCL), the families were allowed by Israeli authorities to retrieve them later on the same day. 

Israeli Settler Attacks 

• Between 23 and 29 September, OCHA documented at least 27 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both. These attacks led to the killing of a Palestinian man (see below), the injury of 17 Palestinians, including three women, and the displacement of three Palestinian households that comprised 10 people, including three children. In addition, five olive trees and four vehicles sustained damage.  
• On 23 September, Israeli settlers shot and killed a Palestinian man and injured two others with live ammunition in Al Mughayyir town, in Ramallah governorate. According to local sources and video footage, confrontations ensued during which Palestinians threw stones and settlers fired live ammunition. Following the shooting, Israeli forces raided the area and fired live ammunition and tear gas canisters towards Palestinians and residential houses.  
• In Tubas governorate, on 27 September, three families comprising 10 people, including three children, from Ibziq herding community in the northern Jordan Valley were forced to dismantle their structures and relocate to a nearby area in Area B. This followed a wave of settler raids into the community, most recently on 19 September when settlers, many of whom were dressed in military uniforms, came in an Israeli military vehicle, stationed themselves in front of the families’ structures and blocked access routes.  Last week, three other families had also left the community under the same circumstances. These families had lived in the area for over 50 years, specifically in the area known as Wadi Ibziq, which is designated by the Israeli military as both a “firing zone” and a nature reserve. Many of the structures these families were forced to abandon had been provided by humanitarian partners in response to previous demolition and evacuation incidents.  
• On 29 September, the Israeli Supreme Court was scheduled to hear a petition filed by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) concerning the Juret al Kheil community in southern Hebron governorate. The petition, submitted on 10 July 2025, challenges the Israeli authorities’ failure to ensure the community’s safe return following its full displacement in October 2024 after repeated settler attacks and threats. Although NRC had secured interim rulings in at least three other similar cases (in total four cases) across the West Bank, permitting displaced families to return to their communities, families have been effectively unable to do so due to continued settler presence and fear of settler attacks.   
• In Masafer Yatta, Israeli settlers raided four herding communities, injuring five Palestinians and two international activists. On 24 September, two men sustained injuries in Isfey al Fauqa when their car crashed after being harassed by settlers. On 27 September, settlers raided Khirbet al Fakheit, where they physically assaulted, injured and broke the mobile phones of one Palestinian woman and two international activists, who were video recording the forced entry of settlers into a fodder store and having their sheep feed on fodder. In total, 40 sacks of fodder were destroyed and grazed by the settlers’ sheep. On 26 September, settlers raided Halaweh community, searched one of the houses after claiming that they lost a horse, scuffled with residents, and physically assaulted and injured one man. 
• In Jerusalem governorate, on 27 September, settlers attempted to set fire to trees in Barriyet Hizma Bedouin community, in Jerusalem governorate, where families were displaced due to settler attacks in September 2024. One olive tree was burnt. On the same day, settlers were caught on camera cutting electricity and internet cables in Mikhmas Bedouin community, also in Jerusalem.  
• In Khirbet Tell el Himma herding community in Tubas governorate, on 27 September, settlers raided residential shelters and scuffled with Palestinians. They physically assaulted one Palestinian and pepper-sprayed another, injuring them.  
• For key figures and additional breakdowns of casualties, displacement and settler violence between January 2005 and August 2025, please refer to the OCHA West Bank August 2025 Snapshot. 

2025 Olive Harvest Season 

• On 23 September, the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) announced that 9 October marks the official start of this year’s olive harvest season. According to MoA, the yield this year is expected to be one of the lowest yields in recent years. Moreover, farmers’ ability to harvest continues to be undermined by access restrictions and settler violence. In 2024, access measures were partially eased compared with 2023, such as allowing access to groves within 200 metres of settlement boundaries through “prior coordination” with Israeli authorities. However, Palestinian farmers faced significant barriers in accessing their lands, as their entry was often restricted to short timeframes and limited to specific age groups and some faced settler harassment.   
• With the upcoming season, restrictions facing Palestinian farmers are compounded by the Israeli government’s intention, announced in January 2025, to make permanent the sweeping ban on access to the so-called “Seam Zone” areas located between the Barrier and the 1949 Armistice Line. This ban, which has been in place since October 2023, has prevented tens of thousands of farmers from reaching their lands behind the Barrier during the 2023 season or entailed severe limitations for those who sought to access their lands during the 2024 season – access that for years has been subject to the approval of their permit applications or coordination requests by Israeli authorities. The State justified the measure by claiming that olives are a “seasonal crop,” despite its previous acknowledgement that olive groves require year-round cultivation, including two cycles of tilling between October and March. 
• HaMoked, an Israeli NGO, petitioned the Israeli High Court in May 2024 challenging the ban, arguing that it constitutes a severe, disproportionate, and protracted violation of farmers’ rights to livelihood, freedom of movement, and property. At the latest hearing in early September 2025, the court noted the absence of any expert security opinion justifying the restrictions and instructed the State to provide updated permit data and a security opinion by 15 November 2025. While the State pledged that permits would be issued and gates opened during the upcoming harvest, HaMoked stressed that olive groves require year-round cultivation and that limiting access to the harvest period alone causes tangible harm, including crop loss, theft, and settler takeovers of unattended land. Hamoked indicates that the upcoming season will mark the third in a row in which access to farmland during the harvest remains under severe uncertainty, affecting the livelihoods of thousands of rural families. 
• Humanitarian partners are preparing to support farmers amid these challenges. The Protection Cluster, led by OHCHR, in coordination with OCHA, the Legal Task Force, alongside the Food Security Sector, MoA and humanitarian partners, are preparing to support Palestinian farmers by: providing coordinated protective presence; conducting olive harvesting campaigns in identified hotspots facing a high risk of settler violence or access restrictions; documenting incidents of violence; providing agricultural tools, legal aid, real time access coordination, and emergency preparedness awareness sessions and kits; and advocating for people’s rights during the season. 

Funding 

• As of 30 September 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately US$1.14 billion out of the $4 billion (28 per cent) requested to meet the most critical humanitarian needs of three million out of 3.3 million people identified as requiring assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 2025, under the 2025 Flash Appeal for the OPT. Nearly 88 per cent of the requested funds are for humanitarian response in Gaza, with just over 12 per cent for the West Bank. Moreover, during September 2025, the oPt Humanitarian Fund managed 95 ongoing projects, totalling $57.1 million, to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (87 per cent) and the West Bank (13 per cent). Of these projects, 43 are being implemented by INGOs, 38 by national NGOs and 14 by UN agencies. Notably, 32 out of the 57 projects implemented by INGOs or the UN are being implemented in collaboration with national NGOs. For more information, please see OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service webpage and the oPt HF webpage.