Humanitarian Situation Update #270 | 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 11 March.

Key Highlights

• At least 30 families were reportedly displaced, as operations by Israeli forces expanded in Jenin city on 4 March. At least 41 residential structures have also been slated for demolition in Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps in the past two weeks.
• Attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities in the West Bank over the past week have resulted in the injury of at least 11 Palestinians, widespread damage to property and the displacement of at least five Palestinian families.
• Israeli authorities demolished 15 homes and 44 other structures in Area C and East Jerusalem for lacking building permits, displacing more than 80 Palestinians.
• Over 60,000 Palestinians have had their movements between the northern Jordan Valley and the remainder of Tubas governorate restricted for over a month due to Israeli forces’ closure of Tayasir checkpoint, following an armed attack by a Palestinian against Israeli forces at the checkpoint.

Humanitarian Developments

• Between 25 February and 3 March, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, including one child, and injured 64 others, including 14 children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In addition, one Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained in December 2024 and another Palestinian died in Israeli custody in unclear circumstances. For more information on casualties and further breakdowns of data, please see the monthly West Bank Snapshot. Incidents resulting in fatalities during the reporting period include:
  • On 25 February, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man and injured 31 others, including three journalists and an infant, during a 14-hour raid in Nablus city. During the raid, Palestinians threw stones at Israeli military vehicles and Israeli forces fired live ammunition and tear gas cannisters. According to local sources, the killed Palestinian was passing by the vicinity of the area of confrontations when he was fatally shot. Of those injured, seven were by live ammunition, five were by rubber-coated metal bullets, and 19 were due to teargas inhalation. The operation also led to widespread disruptions, with checkpoints around Nablus city closed for several hours and a local kindergarten evacuated by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
  • On 26 February, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike on Nur Shams refugee camp on 24 December 2024 when one Palestinian man was killed and four others, including a child, were injured.
  • On 26 February, Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy during a raid in Qalqiliya city that involved confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinian stone throwers near Qalqilya North checkpoint.
  • On 3 March, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs announced the death of a Palestinian man from Jenin refugee camp while he was held in Israeli custody in unclear circumstances. The man reportedly died on 23 February 2025 and had been held under administrative detention since November 2023. As of March 2025, according to data provided by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to Hamoked, an Israeli human rights NGO, there are 9,406 Palestinians in Israeli custody, including 1,486 sentenced prisoners, 2,960 remand detainees, 3,405 administrative detainees held without trial, and 1,555 people held as “unlawful combatants.”
• Between 25 February and 3 March, OCHA documented 24 incidents involving Israeli settlers that led to casualties, property damage or both. As a result, 11 Palestinians were injured and about ten olive trees and nine vehicles were vandalized. The following are some of the key settler attacks that took place during the reporting period:
  • On 28 February, Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, entered Palestinian-owned land near Halhul town, in Hebron governorate. Israeli forces physically assaulted and injured two Palestinians when they refused to leave their land after the forces and settlers demanded that they do so.
  • On 2 March, Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, physically assaulted and injured three Palestinian men while they were picnicking on agricultural land in Shuqba village, in Ramallah governorate. One of the Palestinians suffered a broken arm due to the assault and one Palestinian-owned vehicle was confiscated by Israeli forces.
  • On 2 March, Israeli settlers carried out two separate raids into two communities in an Israeli-designated firing zone in Masafer Yatta area of southern Hebron: Isfay al Fauqa and Khirbet al Fakheit. During the raids, settlers assaulted and injured four Palestinians with sticks, stones and pepper spray, one of whom suffered bone fractures. The settlers also brought their sheep to graze on the community’s land, killed two of the community's sheep and stole sheep and donkeys. Communities located in the Israeli-designated firing zone in the Masafer Yatta area of southern Hebron have experienced a two-fold increase in documented settler incidents resulting in casualties or property damage, rising from an average of three incidents per month in 2024 to nearly six incidents per month in the first two months of 2025. The most significant rise has been in incidents causing property damage, particularly targeting agricultural and animal-related structures. These incidents have entailed near-daily intimidation, night raids, threats and property destruction, creating a coercive environment that pressures Palestinians to leave their current locations.
• Between 25 February and 3 March, five Palestinian herding families, comprising 39 people, including 19 children, were forcibly displaced due to recurrent settler violence, raids by Israeli forces, and access restrictions.
  • On 25 February, a Palestinian herding family of five people began dismantling its tents and animal shelters near Rantis village, in Ramallah governorate, fearing further violence by Israeli settlers and forces. Alongside semi-daily raids and restrictions imposed by Israeli forces on their access to surrounding grazing areas, the family reported frequent assaults by Israeli settlers in recent months; these include an incident on 27 January when about 20 armed Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian herders in the area with sticks and batons and injured a Palestinian man.
  • On 28 February, four Palestinian households comprising 34 people, including 19 children, were forcibly displaced from Ein al Hilwa - Wadi al Faw herding community, in northern Jordan Valley, citing daily violent attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers following the establishment of a settlement outpost near the community about one month ago. Incidents include Israeli settlers grazing their livestock on the community’s lands, attacking Palestinian herders when they graze in nearby pastures, attempts to steal livestock, and harassment of children as they wait for school buses at the community’s entrance. Four other Palestinian households, comprising 30 people, had been forcibly displaced from this community on 16 October 2023 and 5 September 2024 following a surge in settler attacks, while only four families currently remain in the community. Between 1 January 2023 and 31 January 2025, OCHA documented the displacement of 2,275 Palestinians, including 1,117 children, across the West Bank, citing heightened settler violence and access restrictions.
• Between 25 February and 3 March, OCHA documented the demolition of 59 Palestinian-owned structures (including nine donor-funded structures) across the West Bank due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain. These included two homes in East Jerusalem and 13 residential structures in Area C, displacing 84 people, including 41 children, and otherwise affecting over 180 people. More than half of displaced people (46, including 24 children) were in Khallet Athaba' community, in Masafer Yatta area of Hebron, where eight residential structures were demolished. The eight tents were all donor-funded and provided as humanitarian assistance in response to a previous demolition incident in the community on 10 February 2025. Moreover, in two separate incidents, the Israeli authorities demolished 33 structures in Az Za'ayyem Bedouin community, in Area C of Jerusalem governorate, and blocked the community’s access to surrounding agricultural land with an earth mound. As a result, 22 people, including nine children, were displaced and 117 people were otherwise affected. The structures included four residential structures, 27 agricultural and livelihood structures, and a water network. Between 1 January and 3 March 2025, OCHA documented the demolition of 273 structures (including 36 donor-funded) due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits and the resultant displacement of 385 people, including 198 children.
• Since 4 February, following a Palestinian shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and injured six others, Israeli forces have closed Tayasir checkpoint, which connects the northern Jordan Valley with the remainder of Tubas governorate. The checkpoint’s closure has severely restricted the movement of over 60,000 people, while thousands of others traveling between Nablus and Jericho have also been impacted. The closure has particularly disrupted access to education, with more than 100 teachers and school staff forced to take a longer alternative route via Al Hamra checkpoint, extending their travel time by at least 90 minutes. Access to healthcare has also been severely affected; residents who previously relied on medical services in Tubas must now travel to Jericho, the closest alternative, with detours extending the journey for up to two hours instead of the usual 20-minute trip. Additionally, local community sources report that the closure has negatively affected economic activities, leading to increased transportation costs and higher commodity prices.

Developments in the northern West Bank

• The Israeli operation in the northern West Bank, which began in Jenin on 21 January, has entered its seventh week, making it the longest operation in the West Bank since the early 2000s. In Tulkarm city and its two refugee camps (Tulkarm and Nur Shams), the operation has been ongoing for about a month. So far, tens of thousands of people have been displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, which have become almost completely deserted. Since 18 February, Israeli forces have notified the residents of at least 41 residential structures in Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps via the Palestinian District Liaison Offices to evacuate their belongings from their homes ahead of their demolition. These include 16 structures in Nur Shams camp that were slated for demolition by Israeli forces on 5 March. Armoured vehicles and bulldozers have been reported to be active in the camps, but the exact number of structures already destroyed remains unknown thus far.
• On 4 March, Israeli forces expanded the operation in Jenin, deployed armored carriers, and intensified movement restrictions on access to and from the city. Israeli forces bulldozed infrastructure, resulting in electricity outages for at least five hours, mainly in the eastern neighbourhood of Jenin city. At least 30 families were reportedly displaced from the area, including three families who were previously displaced from Jenin refugee camp. On the same day, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians, including one who was reportedly trying to return home and another who was reportedly engaged in an exchange of fire with the Israeli forces, who withheld his body. Three other Palestinians were physically assaulted and injured by Israeli forces. Also on 4 March, Israeli forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian male near Homesh checkpoint, located between Nablus and Jenin governorates, and withheld his body. According to the Palestinian District Liaison Office, the man reportedly approached the checkpoint with a knife and the forces shot him, with no reported injuries among Israeli forces. Since 21 January, 68 Palestinian fatalities by Israeli forces were documented, of whom 56 were in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas governorates, including eight children (6 boys and 2 girls) and two women, the majority within the context of the ongoing Israeli forces’ operation. Three Israeli soldiers were killed by armed Palestinians, including one during an exchange of fire in Jenin and two due to a shooting attack by an armed Palestinian at Tayasir checkpoint, in Tubas.
• On 25 and 26 February, OCHA, UNRWA and other partners conducted needs assessment of internally displaced people (IDPs) in 11 public shelters and held four focus group discussions with displaced people in rented accommodation in Jenin and Tulkarm. Key assessment findings include:
  • Due to the substantial number of displaced people and the fluctuation of people present in shelters, people in most of the visited shelters reported a need for essential items, including bedding, dignity, and cleaning kits. In addition, 70 per cent of shelters reported a lack of hygiene materials.
  • All displaced people in public shelters are relying on external food support, with most receiving at least one hot meal a day from community service and humanitarian actors. While 87 per cent have access to the market, of those surveyed in the shelters, more than half are unable to afford food. As a result, many have been forced to reduce food consumption or skip meals.
  • Access to water remains precarious, both inside and outside public shelters, due to extensive damage to water infrastructure in the ongoing Israeli forces’ operation, with IDPs reporting increased dependence on bottled water. In more than a third of the public shelters visited, people reported a need for more water and sanitation facilities.
  • In public shelters, many children have had their education disrupted due to limited space at alternative schools, the lack of school supplies, and lack of public transportation to reach schools amid access restrictions. UNRWA has launched a remote learning approach on 23 February to cover eight weeks of curriculum content in five weeks, but some students have limited or no ability to access remote learning due to the lack of access to internet services and remote devices. Furthermore, about half of the IDPs reported protection concerns, including a lack of privacy in public shelters due to the lack of gender partition. None of the shelters are accessible to people with disabilities, while almost half of the shelters reported having children with disabilities present.
  • Medications are both scarce and unaffordable despite some access to medical clinics. In 37 per cent of shelters, people reported a need for childcare and maternity services. Mental health distress was also underlined as a major concern.
• Since the beginning of the operation on 21 January, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) partners have distributed 219 water storage tanks, 10 mobile latrines, over 2,000 hygiene kits, and delivered 4,654 cubic metres of water through water trucking to Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas. Moreover, partners have continued to provide food assistance in the form of food parcels and daily meals; this includes 450 meals per day provided by PRCS to families displaced from Jenin refugee camp and the surrounding areas. Humanitarian partners have also provided displaced people with at least 2,000 bedding kits and over 1,100 dignity kits, in addition to assisting over 5,500 families from Jenin and Tulkarm camps with multi-purpose cash assistance to support them in meeting some of their basic needs. In addition, UNRWA social workers have continued to provide Psychological First Aid (PFA) through the hotline, referring calls to specialized psychological interventions and are assisting displaced people in finding their family members who have been missing.

Funding

• As of 6 March 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately US$158.1 million out of the $4.07 billion (3.9 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 Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Nearly 90 per cent of the requested funds are for humanitarian response in Gaza, with just over 10 per cent for the West Bank. During February 2025, the oPt Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) managed a total of 87 ongoing projects, totalling U$62.6 M million. These projects aimed to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (88 per cent) and the West Bank (12 per cent). The projects were strategically focused on Education, Food Security, Health, Protection, Emergency Shelter & Non-Food Items (NFI), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Coordination and Support Services, Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance and Nutrition, and Camp Coordination & Camp Management. Of these projects, 50 projects are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), 25 by national NGOs and 12 by UN agencies. Notably, 37 out of the 62 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.

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