Humanitarian Situation Update #312 | 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 13 or 14 August.

Key Highlights

• More than 80 per cent of 168 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank so far in 2025 were killed in the northern West Bank, including 60 in Jenin governorate.
• Israeli settlers shot and killed a Palestinian man in Nablus and carried out about 40 attacks against 27 communities across the West Bank, some involving arson, which resulted in widespread damage to homes and other property.
• Some 27 Palestinians, including 13 children, were forcibly displaced from the Barriyyet Kisan area of Bethlehem due to escalating Israeli settler violence; more than 120 people have been displaced from the same area within less than two weeks.
• The risk of demolition of two multi-story buildings in East Jerusalem is placing 29 Palestinian families at imminent risk of displacement.
• OCHA documented the demolition of 43 Palestinian-owned structures across the West Bank due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits.
• Nearly 13,000 students across the West Bank are affected by outstanding orders that threaten more than 80 schools with full or partial demolition, according to the Education Cluster.

Humanitarian Developments

• Between 29 July and 4 August, two Palestinians (both adults), were killed in the West Bank, one by Israeli forces and one by an armed settler (see section on settler attacks below). During the same period, at least 57 Palestinians, including 11 children, were injured, the majority (43) by Israeli forces and 14 by Israeli settlers.
  • On 4 August, Israeli forces shot a shoulder-fired projectile during an exchange of fire with Palestinians near an agricultural structure in Qabatiya, in Jenin governorate, killing a Palestinian man and injuring another. Israeli forces demolished the structure with a bulldozer and detained the injured man, while the body of the Palestinian fatality was later retrieved by Palestinian medics. Between 1 January and 4 August 2025, Israeli forces have killed 168 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 37 children. Of those killed, over 80 per cent (139) were in the northern West Bank governorates and over a third (60) took place in Jenin governorate.
• On 3 August, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, a Palestinian man from Jenin who had been under administrative detention since 6 May 2025 died in Israeli custody in unclear circumstances. Between 7 October 2023 and 4 August 2025, at least 76 Palestinians, including 46 from the Gaza Strip, 28 from the West Bank and two Palestinian citizens of Israel, died in Israeli custody, according to Palestinian prisoners’ organizations. As of August 2025, according to data provided by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to Hamoked, an Israeli human rights NGO, there are 10,741 Palestinians in Israeli custody, including 1,459 sentenced prisoners, 3,291 remand detainees, 3,613 administrative detainees held without charge or trial, and 2,378 people held as “unlawful combatants.”
• Between 29 July and 4 August, OCHA documented the demolition of 43 Palestinian-owned structures due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain. The demolitions included 38 structures in Area C, two homes demolished by their owners in East Jerusalem, and three structures in Area B. As a result, 47 Palestinians, including 21 children and 13 women, were displaced, and hundreds more were affected. Key incidents include the following:
  • On 4 August, four Bedouin families comprising 25 people, including 15 children, were displaced following the demolition of their structures in Area C of Jericho city, close to Road 90 in Jericho governorate. Five residential structures, a common kitchen, two animal shelters and a mobile latrine were demolished, and the families’ personal belongings and three water tanks were destroyed. On the same day, in Area C of Al Judeira village in Jerusalem governorate, one family of three people, including a child, was displaced, and two other families of 11 people, including four children, were otherwise affected by the demolition of 12 structures, including a two-story residential building. These incidents followed two earlier demolitions in Area C on 30 and 31 July, which displaced six Palestinians in Al Jiftlik - Abu al ‘Ajaj, in Jericho governorate, and six in Wadi Rahhal village, in Bethlehem governorate.
  • On 31 July, Israeli authorities sealed off two artesian water wells located in Area B, east of Nablus city, which serve Beit Dajan and Beit Furik towns, reportedly without prior notice. Although Israeli forces and Civil Administration officials had visited the sites several times to photograph and inspect the wells, no formal notification was reportedly given ahead of the closure. The first well, nearly 400 metres deep, had been fully operational between 2022 and 2025, supplying water for drinking and irrigation for both towns. The second, approximately 370 metres deep, was in its trial phase and intended to support agricultural irrigation and the local water network. According to Beit Furik municipality, the closure of the wells reduced water availability by 20 per cent, impacting nearly 23,000 residents in both towns. Between January 2023 and 4 August 2025, OCHA documented the sealing off 12 artesian wells by Israeli authorities across the West Bank, including six in 2023, four in 2024, and two so far in 2025.
• During the reporting period, Israeli authorities issued final demolition notices for two multi-storey Palestinian residential buildings in As Suwwana and Wadi Qaddum area of Silwan, in East Jerusalem, placing 29 Palestinian families at imminent risk of displacement. The buildings have long-standing demolition orders issued against them due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. While legal proceedings had temporarily delayed enforcement in both cases, recent developments reflect a renewed push by Israeli authorities to implement the demolition orders. According to the Israeli NGO Ir Amim, in As Suwwana, 17 Palestinian families – comprising approximately 140 people – are affected after the National Enforcement Unit (NEU), operating under the Israeli Ministry of National Security, signalled its intent to imminently carry out the demolition of the five-storey building. The families appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court, which issued a temporary freeze and gave the government until 7 August to respond.
• Israeli forces continue to operate in Jenin city and Jenin Camp. On 30 July, according to the local community, Israeli forces detained 18 Palestinians for half an hour in Jenin Camp when they returned to retrieve their belongings from their homes following coordination through the Palestinian District Coordination and Liaison Office (DCL). On 1 August, a family of three people, including a child, who were attempting to reach their home in Jenin camp to collect personal belongings had their car hit by an Israeli military vehicle reportedly driving against traffic; all of them were injured and could not reach their home. On 3 August, two Palestinian girls (12 and 16 years old) were shot and injured by Israeli forces during a search operation in the Al Jabariyat neighbourhood of Jenin, near Jenin Camp. The context of the incident is unclear.
• On 3 August, the Protection Cluster reported that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is facing a sharp rise in child protection risks, driven by settler violence, Israeli forces’ operations, detention, and forced displacement. The forced displacement of more than 32,000 people has significantly escalated risks for children, particularly in the northern governorates like Jenin and Tulkarm, where they are increasingly affected by psychological distress and an inability to access education. In these areas, families are resorting to harmful coping mechanisms such as child labour, early marriage, and school dropout. Children are increasingly affected by psychological distress, including symptoms of anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and withdrawal, especially among boys aged 7–12 years. Protection partners have attempted to respond to these needs by providing group or individual mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS) services to more than 45,600 children, and at least 9,650 caregivers were supported through psychosocial services and positive parenting sessions.
• Attacks on students, educators, and school infrastructure in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, sharply increased in 2023 and reached alarming levels throughout 2024 and into 2025, according to a report by the Education Cluster issued on 4 August. In the 2024–2025 academic year, the Education Cluster documented over 2,000 education-related incidents, half of which took place in Area C. In total, over 540 schools and over 84,000 students were affected by these incidents. Most of the incidents took place in the northern West Bank, where repeated operations by Israeli forces forced many schools to close for short periods or shift to online learning, disrupting education for thousands and impacting its continuity and quality. Nablus stands out as the most affected governorate, with a total of 849 recorded incidents, far surpassing all others. As of June 2025, 84 schools face pending demolition orders, 54 of which are under the threat of full demolition, while 30 are subject to partial demolition orders. Ten of the affected schools are located within the Israeli-defined municipal boundaries of East Jerusalem, and the remaining 74 are in Area C. These schools serve 12,855 students, including 6,557 girls, who are supported by 1,076 teachers.

Intensification of Israeli Settler Attacks

• Between 29 July and 4 August, OCHA documented at least 41 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both in about 27 communities. These attacks led to the displacement of six Palestinian households, comprising 27 people including 13 children, the killing of one Palestinian man by settlers, and the death of another due to smoke inhalation during a settler arson attack. In total, 29 Palestinians were injured, including at least six children – 14 by settlers and 15 by Israeli forces intervening during or following settler-related incidents. Settlers also vandalized or destroyed more than 600 trees, mostly saplings, more than 20 homes, 11 vehicles, 19 animal shelters, and critical livelihood infrastructure. Key incidents involving displacement and casualties included the following:
  • In Aqraba town, southeast of Nablus governorate, Israeli settlers shot and killed a 24-year-old Palestinian man and injured eight others on 2 August. According to local sources and community-recorded video footage, the incident took place when six armed settlers, believed to be from a newly established outpost nearby, prevented Palestinian farmers from working on their agricultural land and were subsequently joined by a dozen more armed settlers, after which a stone was thrown toward the settlers and the settlers opened fire towards Palestinians. Israeli forces who arrived at the scene, used tear gas to disperse Palestinians. No injuries were reported among Israeli settlers.
  • In Deir Jarir village in Ramallah governorate, Israeli settlers carried out two consecutive attacks on 31 July and 1 August, resulting in the injury of 15 Palestinians – four by settlers and 11 by forces. In both attacks, settlers raided the western outskirts of the village, where verbal altercations and mutual stone-throwing were reported between settlers and Palestinian residents. Israeli forces intervened and fired live ammunition and tear gas cannisters. Two Palestinians were injured with live ammunition and eight, including four children, suffered from tear gas inhalation. Stone throwing by settlers caused damage to at least six Palestinian-owned vehicles at passing vehicles, injured three Palestinians by glass and stone shrapnel, and partially damaged a residential house and a kiosk.
  • On 30 July, six Palestinian families, comprising 27 people, including 13 children were forcibly displaced from the Muda’an community in the Barriyyet Kisan area, east of Kisan village in Bethlehem governorate. The displacement followed repeated intimidation, harassment, and attacks by Israeli settlers from a newly established outpost in the nearby Deir Alla community. The families were only able to take their livestock, leaving behind residential structures, including six homes and four mobile latrines, all of which were subsequently destroyed by the settlers. This incident follows the earlier forcible displacement of 17 Palestinian families, comprising 101 people, including 53 children, from the Deir Alla area, also in Barriyyet Kisan, between 23 and 28 July. In total, between 23 and 30 July, 23 families (128 people) have been forcibly displaced from Barriyyet Kisan due to escalating settler violence and intimidation. In both incidents, settlers reportedly vandalized and destroyed at least 23 residential shelters and 21 additional structures, including animal shelters and latrines, following the families’ departure. All displaced families have relocated to Kisan village, where they face urgent humanitarian needs, particularly in terms of shelter and access to basic services.
• Out of the 41 settler attacks documented during the reporting period, at least eight incidents involved arson in Palestinian villages and communities across Qalqiliya, Ramallah, Nablus, and Hebron governorates. In these attacks, Israeli settlers reportedly used fire, Molotov cocktails, sound canisters, and stones, resulting in the death of one Palestinian man, the injury of another, damage to at least six homes, and the torching or vandalism of 20 vehicles. Additionally, critical livelihood infrastructure was destroyed. Four of these attacks were reported on 31 July and 1 August, as follows:
  • In Silwad in Ramallah governorate, settlers set fire to eight Palestinian-owned vehicles parked near homes, damaging the façade and windows of a building; one Palestinian man died from smoke inhalation while attempting to extinguish the flames.
  • In Susiya in Hebron governorate, settlers torched a vehicle belonging to international activists, sprayed pepper gas into the home where the activists were staying with a Palestinian family, and vandalized a water tank, a surveillance camera and a solar-powered lamp.
  • In Rammun in Ramallah governorate, a group of settlers threw sound canisters, Molotov cocktails, and flammable materials at Palestinian houses, sprayed racist graffiti on walls, and set fire to several vehicles, damaging at least six, but the flames were extinguished by residents before reaching the homes.
  • In Jalud in Nablus governorate, settlers from Adei Ad settlement outpost threw Molotov cocktails onto the balcony of a Palestinian house, igniting a fire that damaged household items before residents extinguished it.
• Six out of the 41 documented incidents specifically targeted agricultural lands in four Palestinian villages across Hebron, Ramallah, Salfit, and Nablus governorates. These attacks resulted in the destruction of nearly 600 trees, mostly saplings, damage to crops cultivated on more than 31 dunums (about 7.7 acres) of land, and the injury of one Palestinian man due to tear gas inhalation fired by Israeli forces. The majority of this damage occurred in Burqa village in Nablus governorate, where settlers, reportedly from the re-established Homesh settlement, carried out three separate attacks on 29 July. These incidents resulted in the destruction of over 550 trees and saplings, damage to crops on approximately 24.5 dunums (about six acres), and extensive harm to livelihood infrastructure. Settlers broke into privately owned land, grazed livestock on seven dunums (about 1.7 acres) of sesame crops, and set fire to a home garden. As family members attempted to extinguish the fire, Israeli forces intervened and fired tear gas, injuring one Palestinian man. Additionally, settlers damaged irrigation systems and seized a water tank and at least 50 metal sheets, leading to significant livelihood losses for three Palestinian families. Homesh, one of four northern West Bank settlements evacuated in 2005, was re-established in 2020 as a religious school. In May 2023, the Israeli military lifted the ban on Israeli entry and allocated the land to a settlement council. Settlers soon began erecting new structures on privately owned Palestinian land. Since then, landowners particularly from Burqa have been denied access, severely impacting their livelihoods.
• On 29 July, the Israeli High Court of Justice issued a ruling, instructing Israeli authorities to provide a formal response to the situation in Al Mu’arrajat East by 1 September to and consider declaring the area closed to Israeli civilians. The decision followed a petition filed by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on 3 July, requesting protection measures following the 2 July mass settler attack that forcibly displaced the entire Bedouin community, and resulted in the theft of livestock, damage to property, and the takeover of structures. While the Court reaffirmed the duty of Israeli forces to maintain public order and protect residents, it denied a request for an interim injunction. On 30 July, Israeli settlers, reportedly from the nearby Mevo’ot Jericho and other surrounding outposts, broke into the now-empty community, demolished dozens of residential and animal structures, and ransacked the interiors of shelters left behind by displaced families. The following day, a few displaced residents, together with activists, went to the site to carry out repairs on damaged structures. However, Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, gathered along the adjacent road, reportedly intimidating residents. At dawn, settlers broke into the community again and set fire to several of the recently repaired structures, causing extensive damage and making it even more difficult for families to return and re-establish themselves in the community.
• 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.

Funding

• As of 6 August 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately US$882 million out of the $4 billion (22 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 July 2025, the oPt Humanitarian Fund managed 111 ongoing projects, totalling $65.2 million, to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (87 per cent) and the West Bank (13 per cent). Of these projects, 54 are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), 43 by national NGOs and 14 by UN agencies. Notably, 39 out of the 68 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.