Humanitarian Situation Update #272 | 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 18 March.

Key Highlights

• The ongoing Israeli operation in Jenin has intensified. On 10 and 11 March, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians and over 500 people were displaced from eastern Jenin city.
• On 10 March, Palestinian forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian child in Jenin city.
• Israeli settler attacks result in more than 1,400 sheep and goats stolen or killed, and over 380 olive trees and fruit trees vandalized.
• Between 4 and 10 March, Israeli forces raided at least 10 mosques, damaging one and seizing equipment in two, while settlers vandalized electronics in another.
• Sharp increase in demolition of Palestinian-owned structures during first 10 days of Ramadan compared to previous years

Humanitarian Developments (4-10 March)

• Between 4 and 10 March, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, and injured 62 others, including 12 children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In the same period, Palestinian forces shot and killed one Palestinian child in Jenin. For more information on casualties and further breakdowns of data, please see the monthly West Bank Snapshot. Following are the incidents resulting in fatalities during the reporting period:
  • On 4 March, Israeli forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man near Homesh checkpoint, between Nablus and Jenin governorates, and withheld his body. According to the Palestinian District Liaison Office, the man was shot when he reportedly approached the checkpoint with a knife.
  • On 4 March, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians in Jenin city as part of the ongoing operations in the area. One of those killed was reportedly trying to return home and the second was reportedly engaged in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces, who withheld his body.
  • On 10 March, an Israeli armoured military vehicle struck and killed a Palestinian man driving a motorcycle in Jenin city. Surveillance footage shows the military vehicle striking the man at an intersection.
  • On 10 March, Palestinian forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy in central Jenin. They pursued him in civilian vehicles, shot him in the head and chest, and arrested him. They then took him to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. According to Palestinian forces, the boy fired live ammunition at them, prompting their response. According to eyewitnesses, the boy did not shoot at the forces during the pursuit.
• Between 4 and 10 March, OCHA documented 16 incidents involving Israeli settlers that led to casualties, property damage or both. In those incidents, two Palestinians were injured, more than 1,400 sheep and goats were stolen or killed, and over 380 olive trees and fruit trees were vandalized. In one incident perpetrated by Palestinians, an Israeli infant was injured. Following are some of the key incidents that took place during the reporting period:
  • On 6 March, Israeli settlers were grazing livestock on farmland near Rantis village (Ramallah), when Palestinians arrived, drove them off the land and inspected the damage. According to the community, Israeli forces arrived afterwards and shot one of the Palestinians in the leg.
  • On 7 March, in the Ras 'Ein al 'Auja Bedouin community (Jericho), dozens of Israeli settlers, some armed, attacked Palestinian residents under the protection of Israeli forces. According to eyewitnesses, settlers physically assaulted and injured a Palestinian man, stole approximately 1,400 livestock, killed 12 goats, and damaged at least three houses and several solar panels. Additionally, several Israeli settlers broke into the western residential area of the community and attempted to mix their sheep with livestock owned by Palestinians. The Palestinian man who was injured in the incident, attempted to stop the settlers, was restrained by Israeli police while settlers beat him. He was detained and accused of stealing 50 sheep, owned by settlers. After two days, he was released and transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Residents, particularly women and children, remained inside their homes fearing further violence.
  • On 9 March, armed Israeli settlers, believed to be from Itamar and dressed in what appeared to be military uniforms, attacked Palestinian worshipers while they were praying in a mosque in Khirbet Tana, Nablus. According to the village council and eyewitnesses, the settlers assaulted the villagers while they were praying and ordered them to present their ID cards for inspection. They then forced the worshipers out of the mosque and vandalized the mosque's electrical system.
  • On 9 March, perpetrators believed to be Israeli settlers from an expansion of Itamar settlement, vandalized at least 300 olive trees on agricultural land in the eastern area of Rujeib village (Nablus). According to the Head of the Village Council and those affected, settlers cut the trees with an electric saw. One of the affected villagers reported losing at least 35 olive trees that were approximately 70 years old. Another affected villager reported that, in addition to having 200 olive trees cut down and vandalized, Israeli settlers also threw stones and soil into a water well. During this attack, Israeli settlers damaged a stone wall approximately 30 metres in length. The Head of the Village Council noted that these settler attacks have increased over the past three months, coinciding with the establishment of a new outpost in the area.
  • On 10 March, perpetrators believed to be Palestinians threw stones at a vehicle traveling near Odala (Nablus) and injured one Israeli infant passenger. According to the Israeli military, the infant was treated by Israeli medical teams at the scene.
• Since January 2024, the Ras 'Ein al 'Auja Bedouin community has witnessed a sharp escalation in settler violence, with OCHA documenting over 110 incidents, 45 of which resulted in casualties or property damage. This marks a stark increase compared with the five incidents, two of which resulted in casualties or property damage, recorded over the previous decade. Surrounded by multiple Israeli settlements, the community has endured persistent intimidation and physical assaults on shepherds; forcing them to reduce grazing and rely on costly fodder. Settlers have also repeatedly raided the community, in some cases setting fire to structures, cutting water pipes, and allowing their livestock to consume Palestinian-owned fodder. Residents seeking access to the Al 'Auja water spring have been physically assaulted, further restricting their ability to sustain their flocks and livelihoods. Attacks particularly intensified following the establishment of a new settlement near the community in May 2024. These conditions are undermining the community’s ability to sustain traditional livelihoods, heightening the risk of displacement, and contributing to broader pressures on Palestinian herding communities in Area C.
• Between 4 and 10 March, OCHA documented the demolition of 51 Palestinian-owned structures (including 17 doner-funded ones) across the West Bank due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain. These included eight structures in East Jerusalem (of which seven were homes) and 43 structures in Area C. In total, 44 people, including 22 children, were displaced, and 2,000 people were otherwise affected. Almost half of the structures demolished in Area C (21) were in a single incident in the Tell al Khashaba herding community (Nablus). Four families were displaced (19 people, including 11 children), each of their homes destroyed. In addition, 12 livestock structures, four latrines and the communities’ electrical network were all damaged. Of the 25 families living in the community, 44 per cent have been affected by these demolitions.
• On 5 March, the Israeli authorities demolished three Palestinian-owned homes on punitive grounds; displacing ten people, including two children. The structures were in Rafat (Jerusalem) belonging to the family of a Palestinian who rammed soldiers with his vehicle at Beit El checkpoint in September 2024, and two others in Hebron, belonging to the families of two Palestinians who shot and killed seven people in Jaffa (Israel) in October 2024.
• The number of structures demolished, due to a lack of an Israeli-issued permit or punitively, during the first ten days of Ramadan in 2025 (71) exceeded the demolitions during the entirety of Ramadan in 2024 (69 structures) and the previous three Ramadan periods, between 2021 and 2023, combined (32 structures). Historically, Israeli authorities have reduced demolitions during Ramadan, but since 2024, there has been a sharp rise.
• On 7 March, the first Friday of Ramadan, access restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities prevented thousands of Palestinian worshipers from reaching holy sites. While the Israeli authorities have allowed Palestinians access to East Jerusalem and the H2 area of Hebron, they have imposed restrictions based on age and gender, with the condition that people entering East Jerusalem possess Israeli-issued permits. Israeli authorities have also set up hundreds of metal barriers to tightly control people’s movements. OCHA has deployed teams to monitor people's movements through the checkpoints to identify potential protection risks and possible measures for Palestinians seeking to cross, with particular attention to the most vulnerable such as children, pregnant women, and older people. Initial information indicates fewer people crossed and fewer checkpoints opened this year, compared with Fridays in 2024. In the Old City of Jerusalem, Israeli forces were deployed into the streets and at the gates leading to the city. Israeli forces conducted ID checks and body searches on Palestinians at the entrance of Al Aqsa Mosque and denied access to hundreds of people. Young men were systematically stopped, some were rejected from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque with no clear reasons given. In Hebron, access to Al Ibrahimi Mosque was channelled through one of three checkpoints, admitting males between 27 and 50 years, with inspection, and males over 50 years and females of all ages without inspection. The Al Muhtaseb neighbourhood roadblock was shut for the second year in a row, creating congestion at other checkpoints. In previous years, the roadblock would be open for men to cross for Friday prayers during Ramadan and other special occasions.
• Between 4 and 9 March, Israeli forces raided at least 10 mosques across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. On 4 March, Israeli forces raided and confiscated security camera records from a mosque in Bruqin village (Salfit). On 7 March, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments, Israeli forces raided eight mosques in Nablus city. In the An Naser mosque, in the Old City of Nablus, a fire was reported after Israeli forces left the premises. Firefighting crews were denied access to the mosque for almost an hour until the forces withdrew, at which point the mosque was engulfed in flames. On 9 March, Israeli forces raided the Al Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem and confiscated two loudspeakers in the Al Marwani prayer hall; disrupting the call to prayer.
• Attacks on health facilities continue across the West Bank: on 8 March, Israeli forces raided Al Ahli Hospital in Hebron city, temporarily detaining several of the hospital’s security guards, arresting the chief security guard and confiscating the hospital’s surveillance equipment. From 1 January 2025 until 28 February 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) verified 64 incidents of attacks on health care. These have affected seven health facilities including hospitals, and 43 ambulances. Of the incidents, 48 involved obstructions to health care delivery, 37 attacks involved use of force, while 12 attacks involved the search of health-care personnel, facility, or transport, and 14 involved the arrest or detention of health-care personnel or of patients.
• On 11 March, Israeli forces raided the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem for the second time in just over a month. They searched it, confiscated dozens of books, and arrested one of the owners. Between 4 and 9 February, Israeli forces raided two bookshops and sealed off a library in East Jerusalem; the Educational Bookshop was raided back then, with two of the owners detained and books were seized.

Developments in northern West Bank

• The Israeli operation in the northern West Bank, which began in Jenin on 21 January, has entered its eighth 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 a month. So far, tens of thousands of people have been displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, which have become almost deserted. On 12 March, the operations returned to Qabatiya (Jenin governorate) for one day, following previous operations between 23 and 25 February. The municipality reports that the bulldozing of structures and infrastructure caused the whole town to lose water connectivity for ten hours. On the same day, Israeli forces expanded operations to Arraba (Jenin governorate) for 12 hours, where the municipality reports that at least 70 people were detained and interrogated.
• Local sources in Tulkarm city have reported hearing multiple explosions and seeing Israeli military bulldozers activity in the camps. Humanitarian actors have been unable to verify demolitions in the refugee camps due to lack of access. This follows the Israeli forces’ announcement of the demolition of at least 41 residential structures since 18 February. Dozens of families have reported that they have tried to return to their houses inside camps, but they were either denied access or forced to leave again by Israeli forces.
• Since 10 March, the ongoing operations in Jenin city have intensified. Israeli forces killed five Palestinian, including one woman and over 100 families, comprising more than 500 people, have been forcibly displaced from three neighbourhoods in the eastern part of the city, according to the municipality. In addition to the previously listed incidents, on 11 March (outside the reporting period), Israeli forces shot and killed three men and a woman during exchanges of fire in several parts of the city. In an eastern neighbourhood, Israeli forces surrounded a building and exchanged fire with armed Palestinians, killing two men and withheld their bodies. In another eastern neighbourhood of Jenin, Israeli forces surrounded a building, launched shoulder-fired explosive projectiles, and fired live ammunition at it, killing a Palestinian man inside and withholding his body. Near an industrial zone in eastern Jenin, Israeli forces surrounded and launched shoulder-fired explosive projectiles at a greenhouse and a residential building, killing a 58-year-old Palestinian woman with the shrapnel of the explosive. They also detained the son of the killed woman and his two sons (aged 12 and seven) before releasing the children a few hours later. Israeli forces took the woman’s body and later handed it over to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) at Al Jalameh checkpoint.
• Since 21 January, 74 Palestinian fatalities by Israeli forces were documented, of whom 61 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 (Tubas).
• On 7 March, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) released a statement regarding the killings in the ongoing operation, stating that: “The killings increasingly demonstrate an alarming disregard for Palestinian lives with high prevalence of unlawful killings. As there are no hostilities in the West Bank, the international human rights law standards on the use of force in law enforcement operations apply. Instead, Israel now routinely resorts to using tactics and weapons developed for war fighting, including the deployment of airstrikes and tanks.” On 12 March, OHCHR stated that the Palestinian Authority continued to use force unlawfully against Palestinians in the West Bank during demonstrations and other law enforcement situations. OHCHR called upon it to prevent, repress and punish all violations and abuses of international human rights law.
• Access to water remains precarious, especially in Jenin city, due to extensive damage to water infrastructure in the ongoing Israeli forces’ operation. According to the Jenin municipality, 30 per cent of the eastern neighbourhoods (about 3,000 people) were cut off from water for a week, as attempts were made to repair the damage to water networks. Furthermore, the municipality reported that the western neighbourhoods have been subject to intermittent water cuts, where the municipality estimates that 15,000 people now rely on water trucking.
• During February, protection partners continued to provide essential child protection prevention and response interventions in the northern West Bank. These services included psychosocial first aid, case management, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), child protection awareness sessions, referrals to specialists, recreational activities for children, and legal services, to more than 2,400 children and 2,300 caregivers. The psychological impact of the escalation and displacement has resulted in very high MHPSS needs for children and caregivers. Many of the displaced families are struggling to cover basic needs – including food, shelter, water, and clothes – which increases child protection risks, including child labour and child marriage. Due to these multiple, high needs, scale-up of case management services is required to further support families and children. However, partners face challenges in delivering these services due to a lack of access to communities and a lack of information on where to find the displaced communities, which are spread out across different locations in collective shelters, rented accommodation and with host families.
• Access to health services and medicine in areas under ongoing operations continues to be restricted, as the WHO reports that these restrictions continue to hinder the movement of ambulances and health care workers. In addition, damage was reported to 20 non-functioning health points and other critical infrastructure, leading to water contamination with sewage and water shortages in some areas. Furthermore, the persistent lack of electricity and water at health facilities in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas have disrupted health responses and are compromising the cold chain of storing medicine. Health partners have identified urgent health needs in these areas including essential medicines, localized trauma capacities and supplies, access to sexual, reproductive, and maternal health services and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory illnesses.

Funding

• As of 13 March 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately US$174.8 million out of the $4.07 billion (4.3 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 $62.6 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 and non-food items, water, sanitation, and hygiene, coordination and support services, multi-purpose cash assistance and nutrition, as well as camp coordination and camp management. Of these projects, 50 projects are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations, 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.