Humanitarian Situation Update #213 | West Bank

The Humanitarian Situation Update is issued by OCHA Occupied Palestinian Territory three times per week. The Gaza Strip is covered on Mondays and Fridays, and the West Bank is covered on Wednesdays. The next update will be issued on 6 September.

Key Highlights

• For over a week, Israeli forces have been using lethal, war-like tactics across the northern West Bank, deepening people’s humanitarian needs and raising concerns over excessive use of force.
• Between 27 August and 2 September, Israeli forces killed 30 Palestinians in the West Bank, including seven children, marking the highest weekly death toll since November 2023.
• Four members of the Israeli forces were killed by Palestinians in Hebron and Jenin governorates.
• Ten of the Palestinian fatalities were hit by airstrikes. In August, Israeli airstrikes increased sharply, killing 41 Palestinians, representing 44 per cent of the total fatalities (95) from airstrikes in the West Bank in 2024.
• Since 7 October 2023, Israeli forces have intensified movement restrictions in the Israeli-controlled area of Hebron city (H2). These restrictions have disrupted access to livelihoods and services for thousands of Palestinians. Furthermore, multiple incidents of detention have taken place at these checkpoints, alongside allegations of sexual harassment.

Latest Developments (after 2 September)

• On 3 September, initial reports indicate that Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old girl in Kafr Dan, Jenin. Separately, Israeli forces exchanged fire with and killed two Palestinians in Tulkarm.

Humanitarian Developments (27 August - 2 September)

• During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed 30 Palestinians, including seven children. Israeli forces and settlers injured 79 Palestinians, including 11 children. This is the highest weekly toll for fatalities since November 2023. During the same period, Palestinians killed four members of the Israeli forces and injured three Israeli soldiers.
• Overnight between 27 and 28 August, Israeli forces initiated a wide-scale operation in the northern West Bank, focusing on Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas. Israeli aerial and ground strikes, exchanges of fire, and detonations of explosive devices have been reported, resulting in mass casualties and the destruction of infrastructure, especially with the use of bulldozers in all governorates. Twenty-seven (27) out of the 30 Palestinian killed during the reporting period were in these operations, including 10 by airstrikes. On 31 August, the UN Human Rights Office in Occupied Palestinian Territory (OHCHR) condemned the Israeli forces' “use of unlawful force during militarized operations in the occupied West Bank and calls for an immediate end to the current attack on Jenin refugee camp.”

In Jenin governorate

• On 28 August, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians in Jenin Refugee Camp. According to local sources and UNRWA, undercover Israeli forces raided the camp and killed two Palestinian men. Subsequently, Palestinians used live ammunition and explosive devices against Israeli forces, who fired live ammunition at the Palestinians. UNRWA and medical sources reported that Israeli forces had surrounded and restricted access to the Jenin Governmental Hospital and Ibn Sina Hospital, including by searching ambulances. In addition, an electric generator was damaged, causing a power outage across the camp.
• On 28 August, three Palestinians were killed by an Israeli airstrike while travelling between Jenin and Sir village, southeast of Jenin, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH). The Israeli military stated that the people killed were responsible for attacks on Israeli towns and that weapons were found on their bodies and in the vehicle. On 29 and 31 August, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in Jenin city. On 30 August, Israeli forces shot and killed an 82-year-old Palestinian man, according to the man’s family, while attempting to buy bread. Additionally, according to PRCS, Israeli forces opened fire at an ambulance in the eastern parts of Jenin city, injuring a doctor and damaging the vehicle. The Jenin Governor estimates that about 70 per cent of Jenin’s roads and infrastructure have been damaged. During the operation, one Israeli soldier was killed by live ammunition fired by Palestinians.
• On 30 August, an Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians and Israeli forces shot and killed a third Palestinian in Az Zababida village. According to an eyewitness testimony given to OCHA, undercover Israeli forces raided the town, surrounded a Palestinian vehicle, and exchanged fire with the three Palestinian men inside. Two of the men attempted to flee and an airstrike from a drone hit and killed them. The third man tried to drive away, but Israeli forces shot at the vehicle, and it ceased to move. According to the eyewitnesses, Israeli forces then advanced towards the vehicle and shot him, took the three bodies and blew up the vehicle.
• On 1 September, an Israeli airstrike killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy in Silat al Harithiya village. Israeli forces raided the village, where Palestinians threw explosive devices at Israeli forces, who fired live ammunition at them.
• On 1 September, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian boys, aged 13 and 16, riding a motorcycle at the entrance of Kafr Dan. According to the local sources, the two boys were being chased by Israeli forces while attempting to distribute bread to besieged families near the eastern neighbourhood of Jenin city.
• On 2 September, a Palestinian man died while under Israeli custody at Salem checkpoint. According to local sources, he was detained from Kafr Dan village. When a medical team was called to pick up the man, they received his corpse with signs that he had been handcuffed and had severe bruising.
• On 3 September, after the reporting period, multiple organizations mobilized by OCHA were set to carry out an assessment mission to Jenin but were denied access by Israeli security forces. OCHA has warned that access impediments are impacting the ability to provide meaningful humanitarian response.

In Tubas governorate

• On 28 August, an Israeli airstrike killed four Palestinians, including two children, and injured eight others in Al Far'a Refugee Camp. The airstrike hit a house while the two children were inside, causing significant damage. According to UNRWA, the access of medical staff to the area was restricted, and PRCS reported that Israeli forces physically assaulted medical personnel nearby. Israeli forces also damaged an electric generator, which led to a temporary power outage across the camp. OCHA’s interagency assessment reports significant destruction to the main road around the camp and that power was restored to most of the homes. The Israeli army stated that it was targeting armed Palestinians.

In Tulkarm governorate

• On 28 August, Israeli forces shot and killed one Palestinian man with a mental disability and injured three other people while operating for 48 hours in Tulkarm city and Nur Shams Refugee Camp. An Israeli airstrike hit a residential structure, injuring two Palestinians, who were transported to a nearby hospital. Subsequently, Palestinians fired live ammunition at Israeli forces, who shot live ammunition and shoulder-fired explosive projectiles at the Palestinians. The man with a mental disability, aged 64, was in his home when killed, and his body was discovered following the end of the operation. Israeli forces destroyed 22 residential structures using airstrikes and explosives, displacing 32 families, comprising 111 people, including 43 children and 38 women. According to UNRWA, at least 350 residential and livelihood structures were destroyed or damaged. Movement within the camp was severely restricted during the raid, making it difficult for medical staff teams to reach the casualties.
• On 29 August, Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinians in Tulkarm Refugee Camp. Israeli forces initially surrounded a house with three Palestinians inside, fired an off-shoulder explosive projectile at it, after which two of the Palestinians fled into the street exchanged fire with Israeli forces and were killed. The third Palestinian man jumped from the roof of the house into an adjacent building. According to the owner of the adjacent house, Israeli forces called him and threatened that if the injured Palestinian did not turn himself in, the house would be hit by an airstrike. The Palestinian eventually turned himself in and was detained. Clashes erupted in the camp, where exchanges of fire took place between Palestinians and Israeli forces. During this exchange of fire, Israeli forces shot one other Palestinian. Israeli forces then withheld the bodies of the three Palestinians. The house that was struck by an explosive projectile sustained severe damage, resulting in a fire that destroyed a two-storey building and displaced two families, comprising nine people, including two children. According to UNRWA, at least 35 residential and livelihood structures within the camp were damaged.
• On 2 September, Israeli forces shot and killed a 14-year-old boy and injured six Palestinians, including a 12-year-old girl. Overall, during the operation in Tulkarm Refugee Camp, an airstrike injured three, including a female paramedic. Throughout the camp, Palestinians shot and deployed explosive devices against Israeli forces, who fired live ammunition at Palestinians. According to UNRWA and a neighbour, during these clashes, a father and his child attempted to leave their house, believing that the Israeli forces had withdrawn, and were shot by Israeli forces when they opened their door. The boy was killed, and the father was injured. Additionally, medical resources said that one Palestinian was treated for wounds sustained from physical assault.
• On 31 August, OCHA mobilized humanitarian organizations from the UN and beyond, in coordination with UNRWA, and together they visited locations in Tubas and Tulkarm, where they assessed damages and people's needs, to provide adequate responses.

Hebron Governorate

• During the reporting period, three members of Israeli forces and three Palestinians were killed in three Palestinian attacks against Israelis in Hebron governorate:
  • On 30 August, two Palestinian attacks took place overnight in close proximity to one another; a Palestinian detonated a booby-trapped vehicle at a gas station near the Gush Etzion settlement Junction north of Hebron city. Israeli forces shot and killed the Palestinian man, who according to Israeli sources, attempted to attack them after the explosion. According to Israeli media, the explosion injured an Israeli soldier, and one other was hurt mistakenly by fellow members of Israeli forces. In the other incident, a Palestinian man drove a vehicle containing an explosive device into the Karmei Tzur settlement, also north of Hebron city, before he was shot and killed by the security officer of the settlement. The explosive device detonated, causing light injuries to the security officer.
  • On 1 September, a Palestinian man carried out a drive-by shooting on Road 35 near Tarqumiya Checkpoint, killing three Israeli police officers. He fled the scene and abandoned the vehicle. Later that day, Israeli forces killed the alleged perpetrator during an exchange of fire, hitting a house where he was located with a shoulder-fired explosive projectile. The house was damaged.
• Following the three incidents, Israeli forces conducted extensive search-and-arrest operations and imposed intensified access restrictions around the Hebron governorate for three days, limiting vehicle movement. This impeded and delayed the movement of ambulances and medical teams. It also prevented the municipality from collecting solid waste and disrupted fuel supplies at gas stations, affecting the livelihoods of Palestinian residents.
• Since October 2023, Israeli forces have imposed a new system regulating the movement of Palestinian residents into and from the closed area of H2 (the Israeli-controlled part of Hebron city) through designated checkpoints. This has worsened residents' access to basic services, further exacerbating the already difficult living conditions. Since 7 October, at least 290 Palestinians, including 37 children, across H2 have been arrested at checkpoints, during search-and-arrest operations, or through ad-hoc detentions by Israeli forces. This figure is more than double the weekly average of arrests recorded between 1 January and 6 October 2023.
• Since 7 October 2023, Palestinian residents have noted a rise in humiliating treatment. A recent Israeli media report revealed multiple allegations by Palestinian women of sexual harassment by Israeli soldiers at checkpoints in Hebron during August. Allegations of harassment have included physical exposure by the soldiers, unwanted advances, intrusive searches, sexual comments, unwanted searches through women’s photos on their phones and verbal abuse. The Israeli authorities have launched an investigation into these harassment claims.

Summary of Fatalities

• Between 7 October 2023 and 2 September, 652 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in addition to two who died of wounds sustained prior to 7 October. Of them, 146 Palestinians have been killed and 54 injured in 55 airstrikes. By contrast, six Palestinians were killed in airstrikes in 2023 (up till October) and none in the preceding 3 years. The Palestinian fatalities since 7 October 2023 include 634 killed by Israeli forces, eleven by Israeli settlers, and seven where it remains unknown whether the perpetrators were Israeli forces or settlers. During the same period, 18 Israelis, including 13 members of Israeli forces and five settlers, were killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In Israel, attacks by Palestinians from the West Bank resulted in the killing of ten Israelis and seven Palestinian perpetrators.

Settler Violence

• During the reporting period, Israeli settlers perpetrated 16 attacks against Palestinians, resulting in 11 injuries, and damage to property. Palestinians perpetrated one attack against settlers in this period, with no injuries reported. Between 7 October 2023 and 2 September 2024, OCHA recorded about 1,300 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, of which over 120 led to Palestinian fatalities and injuries, about 1,050 led to damage to Palestinian property, and over 140 led to both casualties and property damage. The following are some of the key incidents documented by OCHA during the reporting period:
  • On 31 August, masked Israeli settlers, believed to be from Migdalim settlement, accompanied by Israeli forces, raided Qusra village in Nablus. They threw stones at Palestinian homes and vandalized water meters. Palestinian residents threw stones, and Israeli forces fired live ammunition and threw teargas canisters at the Palestinians. Ten of them, including a boy, were injured. Three of those injured were hit by live ammunition, six others required treatment after inhaling teargas, and one Palestinian was injured from settler stone-throwing.
• On 2 September, Israeli settlers believed to be from Itamar Kahan settlement, physically assaulted a Palestinian herder and stole 230 sheep from his herd in Tell al Khashaba herding community, Nablus.

Demolitions

• Between 27 August and 2 September, Israeli authorities demolished, destroyed or forced the demolition of 26 Palestinian-owned structures. Some 23 of them were destroyed during the large-scale operation carried out by Israeli forces in Tulkarm, and the remaining three – all in East Jerusalem – were demolished due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible to obtain.
• Two demolitions took place in Silwan, in East Jerusalem on 27 and 28 August, displacing 13 Palestinians, including six children. The Israeli authorities carried out one of the demolitions, whereas the second was implemented by the owner, after receiving a demolition order from Israeli authorities. The demolitions were in Al Bustan and Wadi Qaddum areas. In Al Bustan, where a family of four was displaced, the house was demolished in a location that is part of a plan to build and expand an Israeli settlement project by establishing public spaces predominantly designated for tourists and Israelis. Israeli forces did not allow the family to gather their belongings before the demolition started and, as a result, they were destroyed during the demolition. In Wadi Qaddum, the owners were forced to carry out the demolition after their petition in the Israeli courts was rejected. As a result, nine people, including four children were displaced.
• Between 7 October 2023 and 2 September 2024, Israeli authorities destroyed, demolished, confiscated, or forced the demolition of 1,478 Palestinian structures across the West Bank, displacing more than 3,477 Palestinians, including about 1,485 children, which is more than double the displacement recorded during the equivalent period before 7 October, where 1,363 Palestinians were displaced, including 637 children. The demolitions after 7 October include over 500 inhabited structures, more than 300 agricultural structures, more than 100 water, sanitation and hygiene structures, and 200 livelihood structures. Some 28 incidents of demolitions and destruction of infrastructure, mostly in Tulkarm and Jenin, account for the majority of those affected, as water, sewage and electricity infrastructure was recurrently damaged there in Israeli operations, affecting entire neighbourhoods and beyond.

Funding

• As of 28 August, Member States have disbursed about US$1.6 billion out of $3.42 billion (47 per cent) requested to meet the most critical needs of 2.3 million* people in Gaza and 800,000 people in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, between January and December 2024. For funding analysis, please see the Flash Appeal Financial Tracking dashboard. (*2.3 million reflects the projected population of the Gaza Strip upon issuance of the Flash Appeal in April 2024. As of July 2024, the UN estimates that about 2.1 million people remain in the Gaza Strip, and this updated number is now used for programmatic purposes.)
• During August 2024, the occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) managed a total of 93 ongoing projects, totalling U$79.7 million. These projects aimed to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (89 per cent) and the West Bank (11 per cent). The projects were strategically focused on education, food security, health, protection, emergency shelter and non-food items, water, sanitation, and hygiene, coordination and support services, multi-purpose cash assistance and nutrition.
• Of these projects, 52 projects are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations, 29 by national NGOs and 12 by UN agencies. Notably, 32 out of the 64 projects implemented by INGOs or the UN are being implemented in collaboration with national NGOs.
• Monthly updates, annual reports, and a list of all funded projects per year, are available on the oPt Humanitarian Fund webpage, under the financing section.