Humanitarian Situation Update #308 | West Bank

The Humanitarian Situation Updates on the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank are both issued every Wednesday/Thursday. The Gaza Humanitarian Response Update is issued every other Tuesday. The next Humanitarian Situation Update on the West Bank will be published on 30 or 31 July.

Key Highlights

• Between 1 January and 21 July 2025, 159 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank.
• About 320 Palestinians, over half of them children, have been displaced by lack-of-permit demolitions in East Jerusalem so far in 2025, an average of 49 per month.
• In a recent attack in the Jordan Valley, Israeli settlers injured one Palestinian, killed and stole livestock, and triggered the displacement of two Palestinian families who had already been forcibly displaced twice in the past two years.
• About 100,000 Palestinians across 20 villages in the Ramallah governorate had their access to water disrupted by Israeli settler attacks on vital water infrastructure.
• According to satellite images obtained by UNOSAT on 21 May, Israeli forces have damaged or destroyed 43 per cent of Jenin Camp, 35 per cent of Nur Shams Camp and 14 per cent of Tulkarm Camp.

Humanitarian Developments

• Between 15 and 21 July, two Palestinians, an adult and a child, were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank. Additionally, a Palestinian man died in Israeli custody in unknown circumstances. During the same period, at least 45 Palestinians, including five children, were injured, the majority (39) by Israeli forces and six by Israeli settlers (see below). The following are details of the incidents that resulted in fatalities:
• • On 17 July, undercover Israeli forces shot, killed and withheld the body of a Palestinian man during a raid in Wadi al Far’a, in Tubas governorate. Community sources reported that the man was shot after opening the door of his house that Israeli forces encircled. Israeli forces detained the man and later informed the Palestinian District Coordination Office (DCO) that he died in custody.
  • On 18 July, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian boy (age unconfirmed) during a raid in Ya'bad town, in Jenin governorate. According to eyewitnesses, the child was denied medical treatment by Israeli forces for about 30 minutes. According to medical sources and a local human rights organization, the boy was shot with seven bullets, including three in the back.
  • On 17 July, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs announced the death in Israeli custody of a Palestinian from Rummana village, in Jenin governorate. The man was arrested on 10 July 2025 and, according to his family, suffered from chronic heart conditions. The cause of his death remains unknown.
• Between 15 and 21 July, OCHA documented the demolition of nine Palestinian-owned structures for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible to obtain. These included five structures in Area C and four in East Jerusalem. In total, nine Palestinians, including three children and two women, were displaced, and the livelihoods of more than 50 others were affected.
  • All four structures in East Jerusalem were demolished by their owners – in the neighbourhoods of Sharafat, Sur Bahir, Jabal al Mukabbir, and the Bab Huta area of the Old City. These demolitions displaced two households comprising seven people, including three children, and one family member who was forced to demolish an extension of his house in Jabal al Mukabbir. Given the near-impossibility of obtaining Israeli-issued building permits and the limited success of legal challenges, many families in East Jerusalem have been increasingly forced to demolish their own homes to avoid further fines and penalties. The number of Palestinians displaced after demolishing their own homes in East Jerusalem, following the receipt of demolition orders by Israeli authorities, has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting growing pressure on residents. Between 1 January and 21 July 2025, OCHA documented the demolition of 113 structures, including 65 inhabited residential structures, in East Jerusalem for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, resulting in the displacement of 321 Palestinians, including 168 children. Of these structures, 70 (or 62 per cent) were demolished by their owners, including some cases where Israeli authorities were subsequently involved to complete the demolition of the structures. On average, 49 Palestinians were displaced per month by lack-of-permit demolitions since January 2023, compared with 29 in the preceding four years (2019 – 2022) and up from 15 in the ten years prior (2009 -2018).
• On 17 July, Israeli forces demolished four residential structures in Area B of Qabatiya town, in Jenin governorate, on punitive grounds, displacing three households comprising 27 people, including 13 children and seven women. The demolitions targeted the homes of three Palestinian men accused by Israeli authorities of involvement in two attacks that resulted in the killing of four Israelis in 2024 and 2025 in the West Bank; all three had since been killed by Israeli forces. The demolition involved the detonation of three multi-storey buildings and one under-construction home. So far in 2025, Israeli forces punitively demolished 26 structures across the West Bank, displacing 28 households comprising 136 people, including 56 children. Since January 2009, OCHA documented the displacement of over 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank due to punitive demolitions. In total, since 2009, about 200 structures have been demolished on punitive grounds in the West Bank, 80 per cent of which were in Areas A and B and the rest in Area C and East Jerusalem. The International Court of Justice has determined that Israel's practice of punitive demolitions of Palestinian property is contrary to its obligations under international humanitarian law and amounts to prohibited discrimination under international human rights treaties.
• On 15 July, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Thameen Al-Kheetan, stated that the past weeks have seen an intensification of killings, attacks and harassment of Palestinians by Israeli settlers and forces in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, noting that Israeli forces “have often used unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal force against Palestinians who did not pose an imminent threat to life.” Calling on Israel to “immediately stop these killings, harassment and home demolitions across the occupied Palestinian territory,” he added that “[p]ermanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territory amounts to unlawful transfer, a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and, depending on the circumstances, may also amount to a crime against humanity.”

Intensification of Israeli Settler Attacks

• Between 15 and 21 July, OCHA documented at least 27 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both. These attacks led to the displacement of two households comprising 10 people, including five children, and the injury of seven Palestinians, including one child – six by Israeli settlers and one by Israeli forces. In addition, settlers vandalized more than 560 olive, almond, avocado, fig, and grape trees and saplings. Key incidents included the following:
  • On 17 July, Israeli settlers raided Hammamat al Maleh – Al Meiteh herding community, in Tubas governorate, physically assaulted several residents, and injured one Palestinian man who, according to medical sources, was denied ambulance access for about three hours. Settlers also stole hundreds of livestock, vandalized a tractor, and damaged multiple homes and animal shelters. Later that night, armed settlers broke into homes and livestock shelters and handcuffed a man and his son. Additional settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, later joined the raid. Israeli forces detained, blindfolded, and handcuffed three Palestinian men who attempted to follow the settlers to retrieve the stolen animals. The settlers later handed the previously handcuffed man and his son to Israeli forces before leaving the area. On 18 July, community members tracked the stolen livestock and found dozens of sheep dead or injured. Some animals were recovered, while settlers retained the rest. Following the attack, two families comprising 10 people, including five children, dismantled parts of their structures and relocated to Al ‘Auja area in Jericho governorate. These families were previously displaced multiple times. In October 2023, they were displaced from Ein al Hilwa – Wadi al Faw herding community due to repeated settler attacks and threats. They relocated to Hammamat al Maleh – Al Meiteh, until June 2024, but left to Bardala village due to limited grazing areas. In June 2024, their structures in Bardala were confiscated by Israeli forces for lacking building permits, pushing them to return to Hammamat al Maleh – Al Meiteh. They were again forced to leave on 18 July 2025, following the above settler attack – marking their third forced displacement in less than two years.
  • In two separate settler attacks on 19 and 21 July in Ni’lin and Yabrud villages, in Ramallah governorate, Israeli settlers physically assaulted and injured two Palestinian men and set fire to a house. On 19 July, in the northern outskirts of Ni’lin, armed settlers, believed to be from a newly established settlement outpost in Jabal al ‘Alam, broke into the area surrounding an under-construction home, cut through the metal fence, and fired live ammunition into the air. They physically assaulted the Palestinian homeowner with a metal club, causing injuries. Later that day, additional settlers and Palestinian residents gathered in the area; the settlers fired live ammunition toward Palestinians that did not result in casualties, threw stones and caused damage to a nearby house, and set fire to the injured man’s home before leaving. On 21 July, settlers accompanied by Israeli forces raided Yabrud village, interrogated the head of the village council regarding missing livestock, and searched for surveillance cameras. They attempted to go into the village school by breaking the gate’s lock. The village council head was held and physically assaulted by settlers for approximately one hour, before he was released. Subsequently, settlers entered his home and struck him in the face, causing him to lose consciousness; he was treated on site by a medic.
  • In two incidents, on 11 and 17 July, settlers damaged property in At Tayba village, in Ramallah governorate. On 17 July, settlers grazed their livestock around and inside the Al Khader Church compound, and vandalized nearby Palestinian-owned olive groves, damaging trees, crops, and communal spaces. This follows events from 11 July, when settlers grazed their cows near the village’s cemetery and residential homes and set fire to land surrounding the cemetery and the church; the fire burned several cypress and pine trees before being extinguished by Palestinian Civil Defense teams.
• Between 15 and 21 July 2025, Israeli settlers carried out multiple attacks targeting water infrastructure and tanks in the Ramallah, Jericho, Nablus, Tulkarm, Jenin and Jerusalem governorates. Key incidents included the following:
  • In Ein Samiya, where a Bedouin community was fully displaced due to settler violence in May 2024, settlers vandalized water infrastructure for the second consecutive week. According to the Jerusalem Water Undertaking, settlers destroyed surveillance cameras and vandalized other vital equipment related to the functioning of the water stations and wells. Ein Samiya spring is the primary water source for around 20 villages, serving an estimated 100,000 Palestinians. The attacks resulted in a one-day interruption of water supply to these communities, before services were restored.
  • In Ras ‘Ein al ‘Auja and Mikhmas Bedouin communities, in Jericho and Jerusalem governorates respectively, Israeli settlers carried out four separate attacks between 15 and 21 July that affected the access of some families to water for domestic and livestock use. In Ras ‘Ein al ‘Auja, settlers repeatedly grazed livestock between residential shelters, damaged one water tank, and deliberately emptied six others, affecting seven families. These tanks are essential for Palestinian herders, who have been facing challenges in accessing and transporting water due to ongoing settler intimidation. In Mikhmas Bedouin community, on 18 July, settlers punctured three water tanks, broke into homes, stole belongings, and physically assaulted residents, affecting three families.
• A recent report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) underscores an acute psychological crisis among Palestinian communities in the southern Hebron Hills, particularly in Jinba herding community in Masafer Yatta, driven by daily threats of forcible transfer, injury, and death by Israeli settlers and forces. In June 2025 alone, 94 per cent of people newly admitted to MSF mobile clinics in Hebron for mental health consultations were directly exposed to violent incidents, including beatings, the destruction of farmland, repeated incursions, and settler attacks. One resident of Jinba recounted: “They struck an old man on the head – he needed more than 15 stitches… The violence just keeps going.” Another resident described a recent attack: “They came in three cars—about 17 settlers. They beat me, my father, and my brother Ahmad. Later that night, they returned. They destroyed our shelter, the clinic, and the mosque. My father was in critical condition—his heart rate dropped to 35. My brother was unconscious for days. We were surrounded for more than an hour before an ambulance was allowed through.” MSF teams are treating children with symptoms of trauma, including nightmares, panic attacks, and difficulty concentrating in school while facing delays due to insecurity, blocked roads, and escalating needs.
• For key figures and additional breakdowns of casualties, displacement and settler violence between January 2005 and June 2025, please refer to the OCHA West Bank June 2025 Snapshot.

Northern West Bank Operations

• Israeli forces continue to carry out operations across Nablus, Tulkarm and Jenin governorates. On the evening of 22 July, Israeli forces began an operation across multiple areas of Nablus city. The forces encircled two major hospitals (Arab Specialized Hospital and Rafidia Governmental Hospital) in the city’s western side, and raided Rafidia’s emergency department and conducted identity checks on Palestinians waiting in the reception area and inspected several ambulances. Troops remained at the site for nearly five hours before relocating to another neighbourhood, where they surrounded a residential building and searched the area. In Jenin governorate, on 22 July, Israeli forces shot and killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy during a raid in Qabatiya town, where Palestinians hurled stones at the forces, while the latter shot tear gas and live ammunition at Palestinians. In Tulkarm, on 21 July, Israeli forces physically assaulted and injured three Palestinians – a woman and two elderly men – during house searches in the Dinnabeh neighbourhood, east of Tulkarm city.
• The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) conducted a satellite imagery-based damage assessment of Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps based on images collected on 17 June 2023, 21 October 2023, 12 March 2025, and 21 May 2025. According to the analysis, all camps showed widespread destruction and the presence of Israeli military vehicles, roadblocks, bulldozers and excavators. In Jenin Camp, the assessment found that 125 structures were destroyed, 101 severely damaged, and 322 moderately damaged for a total of 548 structures, or about 43 per cent of all structures. In Nur Shams Camp, the assessment found that 89 structures were destroyed, 35 severely damaged, and 156 moderately damaged for a total of 280 structures, or about 35 per cent of all structures. In Tulkarm Camp, the assessment found that 31 structures were destroyed, 21 severely damaged and 105 moderately damaged for a total of 157 structures, or 14 per cent of all structures.
• Over the past two months, Israeli forces have continued to carry out demolitions in the three camps, but the areas remain inaccessible for further assessments. In the past week, according to residents near Jenin Camp, Israeli military bulldozers have been observed entering and exiting the camp, accompanied by the sounds of destruction and visible smoke rising from the central areas of the camp. In Tulkarm Camp, residents nearby have also reported activity by Israeli military bulldozers within the camp. In Nur Shams Camp, the Palestinian DCO estimates that seven houses were burned down between 20 and 21 July.
• Marking over five months since Israeli forces began their operations in refugee camps in the northern West Bank, MSF recently issued a brief based on interviews conducted between 5 and 15 May with about 300 people displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps. The interviews were held at 17 locations where MSF operates mobile clinics, including IDP shelters, municipal halls, primary health care centres and schools. Findings show that displaced people have faced severely disrupted access to healthcare following the operations in the camps and the closure of UNRWA clinics therein and due to longstanding movement restrictions across the West Bank; about one in three respondents reported being unable to reach a doctor when needed, mainly due to cost and the lack of a nearby facility or transport. “MSF teams on the ground also reported cases of skin conditions, such as scabies, likely resulting from unsanitary living conditions associated with displacement,” according to the brief. MSF added that the mental health repercussions of displacement, compounded by ongoing violence, have been severe, particularly among women and youth: “This mental strain, coupled with other hardships like loss of income, health problems, and protection risks, is pushing people to the edge and eroding their abilities to cope.” Other key findings include:
  • Roughly half of the respondents were displaced three times or more.
  • Nearly 70 per cent expressed uncertainty or an inability to remain in their current location, citing economic hardship (41 per cent), poor living conditions (39 per cent), lack of services (20 per cent), and safety concerns (16 per cent).
  • One in three respondents reported being shot at and one in four reported being detained or arrested, often involving threats of violence or harm to family members.
  • Over 100 incidents of indiscriminate violence were reported by respondents during attempts to return to the camps to retrieve belongings.
• In response to the displacement crisis in the northern West Bank, and despite significant operational challenges, the UN and its partners have scaled up humanitarian assistance to ensure that displaced and affected families from refugee camps and surrounding areas have adequate access to shelter, food, health, protection, nutrition, education and water and sanitation services. In OCHA’s Northern West Bank Humanitarian Response Update, covering mainly the period between 21 January and 30 April, partners reported on these interventions, including mental health and psychosocial support. Protection Cluster partners provided psychological first aid to approximately 36,000 people. Partners organized 1,500 group counselling sessions and 700 individual sessions, delivered through both in-person and remote modalities, to promote social cohesion and a protective environment for both displaced people and host communities. Education Cluster partners delivered psycho-social support to enhance social emotional learning through art, sport, storytelling and other gender-responsive recreational and resilience-building activities, reaching over 4,700 school-aged children who have been displaced or are in host communities. In addition, Health Cluster partners provided 5,900 psychosocial support and psychological first aid consultations to displaced and other affected people in the Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas governorates.

Funding

• As of 24 July 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately US$785 million out of the $4 billion (19 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 OPT. Nearly 88 per cent of the requested funds are for humanitarian response in Gaza, with just over 12 per cent for the West Bank. Moreover, during June 2025, the oPt Humanitarian Fund managed 122 ongoing projects, totalling $70.1 million, to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (87 per cent) and the West Bank (13 per cent). Of these projects, 58 are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), 48 by national NGOs and 16 by UN agencies. Notably, 42 out of the 74 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.