Humanitarian Situation Update #234 | West Bank

The Humanitarian Situation Update is issued by OCHA Occupied Palestinian Territory twice a week. The Gaza Strip is covered on Tuesdays and the West Bank on Thursdays. The Gaza Humanitarian Response Update is issued every other Tuesday. The next Humanitarian Situation Update will be issued on 5 November.

Key Highlights

• Four Palestinians were killed in the West Bank during the reporting period, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of 2024 to 430.
• Since the beginning of October 2024, about 60 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers across the West Bank and more than 1,000, mostly olive, trees were burnt, sawed-off or otherwise vandalized.
• Nearly 60 per cent of olive harvest-related settler incidents so far in October took place in the northern West Bank, with Nablus governorate alone accounting for a third of incidents.
• Protection Cluster partners are currently delivering protective presence interventions and emergency response training in 70 West Bank communities highly affected by settler attacks and access restrictions during the current olive harvest season.

Latest Developments (after 28 October)

• Three Palestinians were killed during Israeli raids in Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps on 30 and 31 October. One of the raids involved an airstrike, armed clashes, and extensive infrastructural damage, with prolonged access delays facing medical teams and service disruptions affecting water, electricity and internet networks.

Humanitarian Developments (22-28 October)

• During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including one child, and injured 35 others, including ten children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The incidents resulting in fatalities are as follows:
  • Two Palestinians were killed during raids by Israeli forces in Nablus and Tulkarm cities. On 22 October, undercover Israeli forces shot and killed an 11-year-old Palestinian boy who threw stones at military jeeps as they were withdrawing from Nablus city. On 26 October, at about 05:00, Israeli forces raided with bulldozers Tulkarm city and surrounded a multi-storey residential building in As Salam neighbourhood, exchanged fire with armed Palestinians inside the building, and fired Energa anti-tank grenades. During the eight-hour operation, a 29-year-old Palestinian man was killed in the exchange of fire. According to Israeli authorities cited in the media, the man was a commander of an armed group and had recently begun planning further attacks against Israeli civilians.
  • On 26 October, Israeli forces killed a 23-year-old Palestinian man trying to reach his workplace in Israel, via informal openings in the Barrier near ‘Azzun ‘Atma village, in Qalqiliya. Since the beginning of the year, two Palestinians have been killed and 24 injured by Israeli forces while trying to cross through informal openings in the Barrier, all by live ammunition.  
  • On 27 October, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man from Shu'fat refugee camp near Hizma village, in Jerusalem governorate. According to Israeli media sources citing Israeli forces, the forces shot at the man claiming that he attempted to run over Israeli forces stationed at a military post on Road 437 near Hizma village entrance and was said to have tried to stab them. No injuries among Israeli forces were reported. Following the incident, Israeli forces closed Hizma and Shu’fat camp checkpoints, raided the refugee camp where the family of the killed man reside, searched and caused damage to the family home, and summoned his family members for interrogation.
• On 23 October, a Palestinian man succumbed to wounds sustained while he was reportedly planting an explosive device in Jenin city on 13 October (not counted in the overall number of Palestinians killed by forces since October 2023, see below). Since the beginning of 2024, two Palestinians have been killed and three injured by improvised explosive devices, all in the northern West Bank.
• During the reporting period, Israeli settlers perpetrated about 70 attacks against Palestinians, more than half of which resulted in casualties, property damage or both. In total, 12 Palestinians were injured, 11 by Israeli settlers and one by Israeli forces, 120 grapevines, 65 guava saplings, and at least 40, mainly olive, trees were vandalized, water tanks, one electricity pole and other property were damaged, and agricultural tools were stolen. In addition, a 70-year-old Palestinian woman was injured while fleeing from armed Israeli settlers, believed to be from a pastoral settlement outpost near Eli settlement, who attacked four Palestinian families harvesting olives in Qaryut village, south of Nablus governorate. The families were forced to leave their land and were unable to continue the harvest.
• The following are some of the key settler attacks that took place during the reporting period, which entailed intimidation, harassment, physical injury, property damage or a combination thereof, and include cases where Israeli forces were present:
  • On 22 October, Israeli settlers believed to be from an outpost near Enav settlement attacked Palestinian farmers in Ramin village, east of Tulkarm city. According to community sources, about 10 Palestinian farmers were harvesting olives on their lands in Area B, when Israeli settlers arrived in the area and ordered them to leave. When the Palestinians refused, the settlers harassed and physically assaulted the farmers and vandalized their tractor.
  • On 22 October, Israeli settlers believed to be from Kfar Tapuah settlement vandalized the main electricity pole that connects the Palestinian village of Yasuf in Salfit governorate with the power grid and burned five olive trees belonging to a Palestinian family near the settlement. According to community sources, this resulted in a 17-hour-long power outage. On the same day, Israeli settlers believed to be from the same settlement vandalized about 30 olive trees, aged between 20 and 30 years, in the same village.
  • On 27 October, according to community sources, Israeli settlers, under the protection of Israeli forces, attacked at least four Palestinian families harvesting olives in Area C of Beitillu village, in Ramallah governorate. Some of the settlers were armed and believed to be from Nahliel settlement. Settlers injured two Palestinian men with stones, damaged three vehicles, stole harvested olives, and ordered the families to leave the land. When the families refused to leave, the settlers fired live bullets in the air, forcing all the families to leave the area.
  • On 27 October, a group of armed Israeli settlers believed to be from Asfar settlement attacked four Palestinian farmers while they were working on their land near Ash Shuykh village northeast of Hebron governorate. The settlers were accompanied by Israeli forces, who detained the farmers and transported them to a nearby military post in Wadi Sair. After a few hours, the Israeli forces released the farmers, who returned to their land and discovered extensive damage, believed to have been carried out by Israeli settlers. About 6,000 seedlings of seasonal vegetables in two greenhouses and five surveillance cameras were stolen, and a metal gate, an electric generator and a water irrigation network were damaged.
  • On 28 October, Israeli settlers believed to be from Shavei Shomron settlement pepper-sprayed a 73-year-old Palestinian man and stole four sacks of olives his family had harvested in Sabastiya village, in Nablus governorate. The family was forced to leave before completing the harvest.
• Between 1 and 28 October, OCHA documented nearly 270 settler-related incidents affecting Palestinians and their property in about 110 communities across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Of these, more than half were directly related to the olive harvest, resulting in 59 Palestinians injured by settlers, 12 injured by Israeli forces, more than 1,000 mostly olive trees burnt, sawed-off or otherwise vandalized, and many crops and harvesting tools stolen. Nearly 60 per cent of olive harvest-related settler incidents so far this month took place in the northern West Bank, with Nablus governorate alone accounting for a third of incidents. A quarter of the incidents took place in the central West Bank, mainly in Ramallah governorate, and roughly 15 per cent in Bethlehem and Hebron governorates in the southern West Bank. While the geographic breakdown of incidents is generally consistent with trends observed in the olive harvest season in previous years, the volume of incidents has significantly increased and is at least double the number of harvest-related settler incidents documented in October of 2023 (60 incidents), 2022 (59 incidents), and 2021 (36 incidents). This sharp rise highlights the growing threat to Palestinian farmers and their olive-based livelihoods, with most incidents taking place in areas that Palestinians were unable to access during the 2023 olive harvest season, when more than 96,000 dunums of olive-cultivated land remain unharvested due to restricted access and fear of settler attacks. Furthermore, according to community sources, many settler incidents during this season have entailed prevention of access to lands where people had previously not faced similar access restrictions. According to the Protection Cluster, the escalating violence marks a deterioration in the protection environment, heightens vulnerabilities, and underscores the pressing need for improved protection of civilians and continued advocacy for the rights and safety of affected people during this critical agricultural production period and beyond.
• Some restrictions on access to agricultural lands were partially lifted this year, with farmers generally permitted to access olive groves located within 200 meters of Israeli settlement boundaries and access to lands behind the Separation Barrier anticipated to be facilitated by Israeli forces by early November. Nevertheless, Palestinian farmers continue to face significant barriers in accessing lands in or near settlements and those isolated by the Barrier, which jeopardizes their ability to sustain their olive-based livelihoods. As was the case in 2023, private Palestinian land located within the boundaries of Israeli settlements and along main roads used by settlers remains completely off-limits to Palestinian farmers this season. However, unlike 2023, access to groves located within 200 meters of settlement boundaries was facilitated, subject to a “prior coordination” process with the Israeli authorities. Yet, their access has been frequently disrupted by settler attacks and access impediments imposed by Israeli forces or settlers. Impediments include physical barriers, limited time windows for land access, as well as placing limitations on the age and number of farmers permitted to reach their lands. For example, initial information indicates that Israeli authorities are limiting access to Palestinian agricultural lands near Mevo Dotan settlement to about 50 farmers aged 40 years or older, which will seriously hamper the ability of families from Kufr Ra'i, Arraba, and Ya’bad towns in Jenin governorate to gain access to about 18,000 dunums (1,800 hectares), including at least 2,000 dunums (200 hectares) of olive groves, near this settlement. Across the West Bank, Palestinians in at least 110 communities own land within or near 56 Israeli settlements.
• The Protection Cluster, led by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), in coordination with OCHA, other humanitarian and human rights partners, and international volunteers, are currently delivering protective presence interventions and emergency response training in 70 West Bank communities highly affected by settler attacks and access restrictions during the current olive harvest season. Activities have also included legal support, distribution of agricultural tool kits, and carrying out emergency preparedness training sessions on response actions. In the H2 area of Hebron, partners reported facing access restrictions that limited their ability to support families in the area. To enhance coordination, the West Bank Protection Cluster issued a Do No Harm guidance and checklists, launched a WhatsApp group for real-time updates, and rolled out an Incident Reporting Form for tracking protection-related incidents involving Israeli settlers or forces.
• During the reporting period, there were no structures demolished by Israeli authorities in the West Bank on punitive grounds or due to lacking Israeli-issued building permits. One demolition incident took place on 26 October in an eight-hour operation by Israeli forces in Tulkarm city (see above), during which a multi-storey residential building was severely damaged, resulting in the displacement of four households comprising 23 people, including 11 children, and five nearby houses sustained damage.

Key Figures

• Since 7 October 2023, 736 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in addition to two who died of wounds sustained prior to 7 October. These include 719 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, 12 by Israeli settlers, and seven where it remains unknown whether the perpetrators were Israeli forces or settlers. During the same period, 23 Israelis, including 16 members of Israeli forces and six 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 16 Israelis and eight Palestinian perpetrators.
• Since 7 October 2023, OCHA documented nearly 1,600 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians that resulted in casualties, property damage or both. Moreover, 287 Palestinians households comprising 1,682 people, including 816 children, have been displaced in Bedouin and herding communities across the West Bank, primarily citing attacks by Israeli settlers and access restrictions.
• Since 7 October 2023, Israeli authorities destroyed, confiscated, sealed or forced the demolition of about 1,800 Palestinian structures across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, displacing more than 4,630 Palestinians, including about 1,950 children. These include about 2,900 Palestinians, including over 1,160 children, who were displaced due to the destruction of homes during operations by Israeli forces.
• For additional breakdowns of casualties, displacement and settler violence between January 2023 and September 2024, please refer to the OCHA West Bank snapshot.

Funding

• As of 30 October, Member States have disbursed about US$2 billion out of the $3.42 billion (60 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.) 
• As of October 2024, the occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) has prioritized support for the olive harvest season through a series of resilience-building projects. Approximately 17 per cent of the Fund’s overall US$60 million allocation has been directed toward critical interventions in the West Bank, aligned with the 2024 Flash Appeal. Through the Emergency Reserve Allocation (48-Hour), $5 million was mobilized, including $750,000 allocated to two local partners specifically for the olive harvest. These projects focus on expediting the harvest by providing essential tools, clearing groves to reduce fire risks, and upgrading storage facilities to enhance food quality. An additional $5 million was allocated through the Standard Allocation mechanism, with the aim of rapidly scaling up relief efforts to address immediate needs of affected populations. Of this amount, $1.5 million was specifically earmarked for food security projects to improve household income and promote sustainable agricultural practices, including olive harvest support, to strengthen long-term food security and resilience for vulnerable populations.