Humanitarian Situation Update #248 | 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 24 December.

Key Highlights

• Some 59 Palestinian-run schools, serving approximately 6,600 students and at least 715 teachers, face partial or full demolition orders or stop-work orders.
• Since 5 December, Palestinian forces have continued carrying out arrests and engaged in exchanges of fire with armed Palestinians in the northern West Bank, where at least one Palestinian was shot and killed in Jenin.
• On 16 December, 78 Palestinians were displaced in two separate demolition incidents in Jerusalem; marking the highest number of Palestinians displaced in a single day from demolitions due to a lack of building permits since October 2023.

Latest Developments (after 16 December)

• On 17 December, initial reports indicate that Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians for attempting to cross the West Bank Barrier, near Qalqiliya, to seek work in Israel.
• On 18 December, initial reports indicate that a Palestinian died from wounds sustained by Israeli forces’ live ammunition during an operation on 17 December in Qusra, south of Nablus.
• On 19 December, initial reports indicate that Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians in Balata refugee camp (Nablus). Reportedly, exchanges of fire took place between Israeli forces and Palestinians who used an explosive device. Two Palestinians, including an 80-year-old woman with a hearing disability, were killed, and five others were injured. During the incident, the UNRWA field office staff and over 3,000 pupils in four schools had to shelter in place.
• On 19 December, initial reports indicate that an Israeli airstrike hit a Palestinian-owned vehicle, killing at least four Palestinians and injuring three others in Balata refugee camp (Nablus).

Humanitarian Developments (10-16 December)

• During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, and injured 31 others, including 11 children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Palestinian forces shot and killed a Palestinian man, and a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed by an unknown perpetrator in Jenin refugee camp. A 12-year-old Israeli boy was shot and killed, and three other Israelis were injured as a result of a shooting attack perpetrated by a Palestinian in the West Bank. For more information on casualties and further breakdowns of data, please see the monthly West Bank Snapshot. All the incidents resulting in fatalities and other key incidents by Israeli forces are as follows:
  • On 11 December, an armed Palestinian man shot and killed a 12-year-old Israeli child and injured three others from Beitar Illit settlement in southern West Bank. He opened fire at an Israeli-operated bus on Road 60 west of Bethlehem city. According to Israeli medical sources, they treated four injured Israelis, one of which was a 12-year-old child who was later pronounced dead. Following the attack, Israeli forces started a search operation in Bethlehem city and Husan village. According to the Israeli forces, the alleged perpetrator turned himself in to the Israeli forces on the morning of 12 December. According to Palestinian media sources, the alleged perpetrator was a member of the Palestinian forces.
  • On 12 December, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during an operation in Qalqilya city. Reportedly, no exchanges of fire took place during the shooting of the man. Video footage showed Israeli soldiers kicking his corpse and then withholding his body.
  • On 12 December, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man and injured three others during a military raid in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus city. According to UNRWA and medical sources, during the five-hour military raid exchanges of fire took place between Israeli forces and Palestinians. In addition, Israeli forces raided homes, during which they assaulted a man and his wife, both in their sixties, leaving them with minor bruises.
  • On 13 December, undercover Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man with disabilities during an operation in Beit Awwa village, southwest of Hebron. According to local sources, the man was shot after he was sitting outside a shop and then attempted to run away from the forces. Following the incident, Israeli forces entered the area to evacuate the undercover unit. In response, Palestinians threw stones at the forces, who reportedly physically assaulted and injured three Palestinians.
  • On 16 December, Israeli forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man in Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus city. According to UNRWA, Israeli forces raided the camp, leading to confrontations with Palestinians who threw stones, while Israeli forces fired live ammunition. Eyewitnesses reported that the Palestinian man was shot while attempting to throw explosive devices towards the Israeli forces. Israeli forces detained the Palestinian for about 20 minutes after he was shot and then handed him over to a medical team, who pronounced him dead.
  • On 14 December, Palestinian forces shot and killed at least one Palestinian in Jenin refugee camp. A 15-year-old boy was also shot and killed, and the perpetrator has yet to be confirmed. Since 5 December, Palestinian forces have carried out search and arrest operations and have exchanged fire with Palestinians in Jenin city and refugee camp, killing at least two Palestinians. Following this incident the UN Human Rights Office reiterated its call on the Palestinian authorities “to launch an effective, transparent, and impartial investigation into each killing that raises concerns about serious violations of international human rights law, and to ensure accountability.”
  • The fighting between Palestinian forces and armed Palestinians has disrupted the safe access to essential services for Palestinians, including education, water and health. On multiple occasions, about 33 Palestinian-run schools were forced to shut and shift studies to remote learning. On 15 December, UNRWA announced that the fighting had caused it to halt its services for the second consecutive day in Jenin refugee camp. Several generators were hit during exchanges of fire, causing intermittent electricity and communication outages in multiple neighbourhoods within the camp. The ongoing fighting has halted the rehabilitation of water networks, which were significantly damaged by previous Israeli military operations, affecting access to water for over 60 per cent of the camp's population (about 12,000 people). The internal unrest has reportedly expanded to other locations in the northern West Bank, including in Tulkarm and near Balata refugee camp in Nablus.
• During the reporting period, OCHA documented 32 incidents involving settlers and affecting Palestinians, including 16 attacks that resulted in casualties, property damage or both. In total, three Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers and one other was injured by Israeli forces during these attacks. Three Israeli settlers were injured in a Palestinian perpetrated attack during the reporting period.
• The following are some of the key incidents involving Israeli settlers 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 10 December, an Israeli settler reportedly struck a 12-year-old Palestinian boy with his vehicle in the village of Al Lubban ash Sharqiya south of Nablus city. According to the father of the boy, the incident occurred as his son as he was leaving his school. The incident resulted in fractures to bones in his lower body. Three girls from the same school reported that the settler attempted to run them over, but they managed to evade the vehicle.
  • On 13 December, Israeli settlers believed to be from the Rimonim settlement outposts attacked and injured a Palestinian man with sticks and stones on Road 449 (Al Mu'arrajat road) between Ramallah and Jericho. According to eyewitnesses, a group of masked and armed Israeli settlers blocked the road with metal barriers, threw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles and attacked a driver with sticks and stones. The injured Palestinian was transported to a hospital in Jericho to receive medical treatment.
  • On 15 December, Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli military forces, reportedly physically assaulted and injured two Palestinian brothers during a raid on the Makhul herding community in the northern Jordan Valley. The assaults occurred following an incident, earlier the same day, when a Palestinian was attacked by settlers, detained and assaulted by Israeli forces. Shortly after, armed Israeli settlers raided the community and attacked the Palestinian’s family while he was still detained and attempted to steal their livestock. The family members attempted to repel the settlers, and an Israeli settler attacked a Palestinian in the eye with a sharp object, causing an injury.
• Israeli authorities demolished or seized or forced to demolish 76 Palestinian-owned structures across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, due to a lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. Sixteen of the structures were provided as humanitarian aid. This resulted in the displacement of 103 people, including 46 children, and otherwise affected the livelihoods, or access to services, of over 260 others. On 16 December, 78 Palestinians were displaced; marking the highest number of Palestinians displaced in a single day due to demolitions for lack of permits since 7 October 2023. Sixty of the targeted structures were in Area C of the West Bank, nine were in East Jerusalem, and seven were in Area B of the West Bank. Among the most affected were two Palestinian herding communities located in Israeli-designated ‘firing zones.’ Nearly 30 per cent of Area C is designated as such, and the Palestinian communities in these military training areas are among the most vulnerable in the West Bank, with limited access to essential services and basic infrastructure.
• In the herding communities of Khirbet al Fakheit (Hebron) and Tell al Khashaba (Nablus), Israeli authorities demolished 32 structures, 15 of which were donor funded as humanitarian assistance in response to previous demolitions. As a result, 23 Palestinians were displaced and about 160 people were otherwise affected.
• Nine structures were demolished in East Jerusalem included eight by Palestinians (who are often forced to demolish their own structures in order to avoid hefty fines) and one demolished by Israeli authorities on 16 December in Al Bustan in Silwan area and Beit Hanina, resulting in the displacement of 38 people, including 15 children. Al Bustan, home to over 1,500 Palestinians, is the target of an Israeli settlement-related plan entailing the demolition of dozens of Palestinian housing units. Since January 2024, the Israeli Jerusalem municipality demolished or forced Palestinians to demolish, 17 structures in Al Bustan area, resulting in the displacement of 25 households, comprising of 104 people, including 34 children.
• According to the Education Cluster, there are currently 59 Palestinian-run schools (51 in Area C and eight in East Jerusalem) that are under partial or full demolition orders or have received stop-work orders. These schools serve approximately 6,600 students in the most vulnerable areas of the West Bank and are staffed by at least 715 teachers (53 per cent of whom are female). As of December 2024, at least seven out of the 59 schools have exhausted all legal avenues to prevent demolition. Between 2010 and 2024, Israeli authorities carried out 43 demolition incidents (demolition or confiscation – fully or partially) targeting 24 schools (20 in Area C and four in East Jerusalem). In addition, nine demolition incidents (two in East Jerusalem and the rest in Area C) targeted kindergartens. In 2023, three schools were fully demolished: Isfey (for the third time, Hebron governorate); Jubbet adh Dhib (twice, Bethlehem governorate); and Ein Samia (Ramallah governorate). Two other schools—Badw al Kabnah/Al Muarrajat (Jericho) and another in East Jerusalem—were partially demolished or affected by sealing-off incidents. In 2024, Khallet Amira School (Hebron governorate) was demolished in July, affecting 49 students and nine teachers. Demolitions and the threat of demolitions continue to contribute to a coercive environment, which creates pressure on many residents to leave their communities and places them at risk of forcible transfer.
• Highlighting two of the 51 schools currently under threat of demolition in Area C of the West Bank:
  • Al Fakhit School: On 8 December 2024, the Israeli High Court ruled that the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) can proceed with the demolition of the Khirbet Al Fakheit School in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron. The decision followed the rejection of an appeal submitted in 2022 by the school to prevent the demolition. In response, a new petition was submitted to the Israeli High Court challenging both the rejection of the waiver to submit a building permit application and the demolition orders. Alongside the petition, an injunction was submitted to halt the demolition of the school while the legal proceedings continued. The Court granted the interim injunction, and the State has been ordered to respond to the petition by 12 January 2025. The donor-funded school, located within the Israeli-designated Firing Zone 918, serves approximately 130 students and is the only high school in Masafer Yatta, underscoring its critical importance to the community. The community had donated the land for the school.
  • Khallet Amira School: On 3 December 2024, the Israeli Civil Administration raided the area of Khallet Amira in Ad Deirat village in Hebron and issued a stop-work order against the newly rebuilt Khallet Amira School. The school, which was relocated approximately 800 meters from its original site, was being rebuilt by an international NGO following its demolition earlier in the year. The stop-work order was issued before the construction was completed, affecting 48 students and nine school staff. The original Khallet Amira Primary School was demolished by the Israeli Civil Administration, accompanied by Israeli forces, on 8 July 2024. The school, located near Ad Deirat village in Area C, was established in January 2024 and prior to its demolition consisted of seven classrooms, a WASH facility with five latrines, and two water tanks.

Funding

• As of 19 December, Member States have disbursed about US$2.37 billion out of the $3.42 billion (71 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. 

* Asterisks indicate that a figure, sentence, or section has been rectified, added, or retracted after the initial publication of this update.