Humanitarian Situation Update #339 | West Bank

The Humanitarian Situation Updates on the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank are both issued every Wednesday/Thursday. The next Humanitarian Situation Update on the West Bank will be published on 19 or 20 November.

Key Highlights

• More than 1,500 Palestinians have been displaced by lack-of-permit demolitions so, far in 2025, including about 1,000 in Area C and 500 in East Jerusalem.
• A Palestinian family of six people, including three children, was temporarily displaced in Khirbet Abu Falah village, in Ramallah governorate, after their home was set on fire by Israeli settlers – one of 29 attacks documented by OCHA over the past week.
• Israeli forces forcibly evicted two Palestinian families from their residential building in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan, in East Jerusalem.
• About 1,460 structures were identified to be destroyed or severely or moderately damaged in Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarm camps; recent satellite imagery indicates.
• Since 1 October, OCHA has so far documented 167 settler attacks related to this year’s olive harvest season, affecting 87 Palestinian communities.
• Humanitarian partners expanded efforts during the olive harvest, providing protection, legal aid, and agricultural support to famers across the West Bank, to safeguard farmers’ access to their lands and mitigate risks associated with settler violence and movement restrictions.

Humanitarian Developments

• Between 4 and 10 November, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including three children, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In total, since January 2025, 45 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces, or about 23 per cent of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank so far this year. During the same period, about 45 Palestinians, including seven children, were injured – 30 by Israeli settlers and 15 by Israeli forces. No Israeli casualties were reported during the same period. The following are details of the incidents that resulted in fatalities:
  • On 6 November, Israeli forces stationed at the military observation along the Barrier near Al Judeira village, in Jerusalem governorate, shot and killed two Palestinian boys near the Barrier and then withheld their bodies. According to an Israeli military statement, the boys were throwing Molotov cocktails at a main road.
  • On 5 November, Israeli forces killed and withheld the body of a Palestinian boy during an operation in Al Yamun town, in Jenin governorate. According to a statement by the Israeli military, the child had thrown a Molotov cocktail. According to medical sources, Israeli forces prevented ambulance access to the boy for about 30 minutes.
  • On 8 November, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid in Al Far’a refugee camp, in Tubas governorate. Palestinian residents reportedly threw stones at Israeli forces, who shot live ammunition.
• Moreover, during an Israeli forces’ raid in Al Mazra’a al Qibliya, in Ramallah governorate, on 6 November, an elderly woman lost her consciousness when Israeli forces broke into her house to arrest her grandson, where two family members were physically assaulted and injured by Israeli forces. The elderly woman, who had a pre-existing medical condition, was transferred to hospital, where she was pronounced dead (this death is not counted in the total figure above).
• In the northern West Bank, Israeli forces continued large-scale operations across cities, towns, and villages as part of the ongoing operation that began in early 2025. On 4 November, forces raided Qalqiliya city, and forcibly evacuated two residential units, converting them into military observation posts for about six hours. Two families comprising ten people were temporarily displaced before being allowed to return to their homes.
• Over the past week, Israeli forces’ bulldozers were observed operating along several sections of the main road in Tulkarm refugee camp, in Tulkarm city. Due to the continued lack of access to the camp, an accurate assessment of the extent of the damage could not be conducted. According to a recent comprehensive damage assessment by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), based on preliminary analysis of satellite imagery collected on 16 October that has not yet been validated in the field, new sections of widened roads were visible in Jenin, Nur Sham and Tulkarm refugee camps compared with 21 May 2025, and buildings appeared damaged or destroyed along these widened roads. In Jenin Camp, UNOSAT identified 29 berms (earth mounds) and two roadblocks, mainly on damaged road sections surrounding the camp, blocking vehicular access. Five military construction vehicles, such as bulldozers and excavators, seven military trucks and possibly one armoured vehicle were also observed outside Jenin Camp. Fewer such obstacles or visible military activities were identified around Nur Shams and Tulkarm camps.
• In the same preliminary analysis, UNOSAT evaluated the extent of visible damage observed on satellite imagery in all three refugee camps. In Jenin Camp, the assessment found that 201 structures were destroyed, 117 were severely damaged, and 358 were moderately damaged for a total of 676 structures, or about 52 per cent of all structures. In Nur Shams refugee camp, the assessment found that 147 structures were destroyed, 37 were severely damaged, and 198 were moderately damaged for a total of 382 structures, or about 48 per cent of all structures. In Tulkarm refugee camp, the assessment found that 254 structures were destroyed, 52 were severely damaged and 96 were moderately damaged for a total of 402 structures, or 36 per cent of all structures. In total, about 1,460 structures were identified to be destroyed or severely or moderately damaged in Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarm camps.
• Overall, since January 2025, the Israeli forces’ operation in refugee camps in the northern West Bank has generated what has become the longest and largest displacement crisis in the West Bank since 1967. As of September 2025, UNRWA-verified displacement figures, based on the self-registration of displaced families, indicate that at least 31,919 Palestine refugees have been displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps and surrounding areas. This includes 11,765 people displaced from Jenin refugee camp due to operations by both Palestinian and Israeli forces, and 20,154 people displaced from Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps as a result of Israeli forces’ operations.

Lack-of-Permit and Punitive Demolitions

• Between 4 and 10 November, OCHA documented the demolition of 25 Palestinian-owned structures, including 15 in Area C and 10 in East Jerusalem, for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain. Demolished structures included eight residential structures and 12 agricultural and livelihood structures. The demolitions led to the displacement of 43 people, including 14 children, and affected the livelihoods of another 59 people. Out of 49 people displaced by demolitions, 34 were displaced in Area C of Jerusalem governorate and nine were displaced in East Jerusalem, as follows:
  • In Qatanna village, the Israeli Civil Administration, accompanied by Israeli forces, demolished the upper floors of two, two-storey buildings constructed in the 1990s and two animal shelters. The two buildings were rendered uninhabitable and six households comprising 26 people, including nine children and one person with a disability, were displaced.
  • In South Anata Bedouin community (Wa’ar al Beik), the Israeli Civil Administration, accompanied by Israeli forces, demolished a residential shelter, an external kitchen and two latrines, displacing a family of eight people, including four children. The family had rebuilt these structures following the demolition of their shelters on 2 September 2025. The community lies near the area designated for the E1 settlement expansion plan, a long-standing Israeli plan intended to connect Ma’ale Adumim settlement with East Jerusalem. Humanitarian partners have consistently raised concerns that the implementation of this plan would further fragment the Occupied Palestinian Territory and heighten the risk of forcible transfer for communities in the area, with severe humanitarian consequences.
  • In East Jerusalem, owners of two homes in Beit Hanina and Silwan were forced to demolish their properties, following the receipt of demolition orders by Israeli authorities, to avoid the payment of additional fines and penalties. As a result, two households comprising nine people, including five children, were displaced.
• More than 1,500 Palestinians have been displaced by lack-of-permit demolitions so far in 2025, including about 1,000 in Area C and 500 in East Jerusalem. The number of Palestinians displaced after being forced to demolish 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 10 November 2025, OCHA documented the demolition of 208 structures, more than half of which were inhabited homes (105), in East Jerusalem for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, resulting in the displacement of 503 Palestinians, including 242 children. Of these structures, 143 (or 69 per cent) were demolished by their owners, including some cases where Israeli authorities were subsequently involved to complete the demolition of the same structures.
• On 9 November, in Salfit governorate, Israeli forces demolished one home on punitive grounds in Bruqin town. The house belonged to two brothers who are in Israeli custody and were accused of involvement in a shooting attack and killing an Israeli pregnant woman on 14 May 2025 near the town; her baby died two weeks later. This is the second punitive demolition targeting the family within less than a month. As a result, six people were displaced. Since 2009, OCHA has documented the displacement of over 1,000 Palestinians due to the demolition or sealing of 214 structures on punitive grounds across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. About 40 per cent of these structures (86) have been demolished or sealed since 7 October 2023, displacing more than 400 Palestinians. So far in 2025, Israeli authorities punitively demolished or sealed 41 structures across the West Bank, displacing over 210 Palestinians. 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.

Evictions in East Jerusalem

• On 9 November, the Israeli police forcibly evicted two Palestinian families from their three-storey building in the Batn Al Hawa area of Silwan, in East Jerusalem. As a result, an elderly woman and her son's family comprising eight people, including three children, who lived in the house for decades, were displaced. The families purchased and resided in these homes for over 50 years, but a lawsuit by an Israeli settler organization claiming that the land had been owned by Jews more than a hundred years ago was accepted by the court. According to Ir Amim, an Israeli NGO, the eviction was carried out several days before the eviction order officially took effect, raising concerns regarding its legal basis and procedural legitimacy. During the eviction, one family member was arrested, and another was hospitalized after collapsing from distress.
• Over the past two years, eight Palestinian families comprising 36 people, including 20 children, have been forcibly evicted from their homes in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan. In total, about 90 families (over 400 people, including about 200 children) remain at risk of forced displacement due to eviction lawsuits filed by the Ateret Cohanim settler organization in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan. Following earlier endorsements by the Israeli Supreme Court of the eviction of five Palestinian families in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said in June 2025 that the “rulings were based on discriminatory laws that permit Jewish individuals to reclaim property lost in the 1948 war, while denying Palestinians the same rights.”
• In parallel, on 9 November, Israeli authorities delivered eviction orders to another family in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan, comprising 26 people from three households, giving them 21 days to evacuate their home following a recent Israeli Supreme Court decision that dismissed their final appeal. Days earlier, a similar appeal by another Palestinian family had also been rejected, with a 60-day notice to evacuate their home. These developments follow the Israeli Supreme Court final ruling in September 2025 in favour of settler organizations who have filed cases to evict, within a month, Palestinian families in five buildings, comprising at least 20 housing units, in Batn al Hawa. About 26 households reside in these buildings, of whom two have been evicted so far in November and the rest are at imminent risk of displacement.
• At least 243 Palestinian households in East Jerusalem have eviction cases filed against them in Israeli courts, the majority by settler organizations, placing more than 1,000 people, including over 460 children, at risk of forced displacement. Evictions have grave physical, social, economic and emotional impact on Palestinian families concerned. In addition to depriving the family of a home - its main asset and source of physical and economic security - evictions frequently result in disruption in livelihoods, increased poverty and a reduced standard of living.

Israeli Settler Attacks

• Between 4 and 10 November, OCHA documented about 29 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties, property damage or both. These comprised at least nine attacks related to the olive harvest season. The attacks led to the injury of 30 Palestinians, including four children, all by Israeli settlers and damage to more than 650 Palestinian-owned (mainly olive) trees and saplings, five vehicles, at least eight homes, and other livelihood structures. According to Israeli media sources, Palestinians threw stones at Israeli-plated vehicles on at least one occasion in Ramallah governorate, resulting in damage to at least one vehicle but no reported injuries. The following are key Israeli settler attacks documented during the reporting period, excluding those related to the olive harvest season (which are detailed in the next section):
• In Ramallah governorate, the village of Khirbet Abu Falah has witnessed a sharp increase in settler-related violence following the establishment of a new Israeli settlement outpost in April 2024, southeast of the village. Since then, OCHA has documented 20 attacks resulting in casualties or property damage, compared with no attacks reported since OCHA started documenting settler attacks in 2006. On 7 November, settlers believed to be from this outpost launched a night-time attack on the town and set fire to a Palestinian house while the family was inside. As the flames spread, the family immediately evacuated while neighbours and civil defence teams rushed to the scene and managed to extinguish the fire. The mother sustained a leg fracture while running away from the settlers. The home sustained severe damage, temporarily displacing a family of six people, including three children.
• In Jerusalem governorate, the Bedouin community of Ma’azi Jaba’ has witnessed a sharp increase in settler-related violence following the establishment of a new Israeli settlement outpost in February 2025 near the community. Since then, OCHA has documented 22 attacks resulting in casualties or property damage, compared with no attacks reported since OCHA began documenting settler violence in 2006. On 9 November, a group of Israeli settlers carrying sticks raided the community in the early morning hours, set fire to a kitchen tent, and threw stones at Palestinians, injuring seven.
• In southern Hebron governorate, Israeli settlers carried out two attacks on 5 November targeting Palestinian homes and residents. In Khalet al Fara area in Yatta town, a group of armed settlers broke into the area, opened fire, physically assaulted three Palestinians, including a child, and threw stones at nearby houses, damaging windows. On the same day, in Mantiqat Shi'b al Butum, located within Firing Zone 918 in Masafer Yatta, settlers broke into a residential home, vandalized belongings, and physically assaulted and injured an elderly man and his wife.
• For key figures and additional breakdowns of casualties, displacement and settler violence between January 2005 and September 2025, please refer to the OCHA West Bank September 2025 Snapshot.

2025 Olive Harvest Season

• Between 1 October and 10 November 2025, OCHA documented 167 olive-harvest-related settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in casualties, property damage, or both. Incidents included attacks on farmers inside or on their way to olive groves, theft of crops and harvesting equipment, and vandalism of olive and other trees and saplings. In total, 87 villages and towns have been affected by attacks that resulted in the injury of about 151 Palestinians (including 83 injured by Israeli settlers and the rest by Israeli forces). In addition, eight Israeli and international volunteers were injured by settlers while providing protective presence to Palestinians harvesting olive trees in two locations in Nablus governorate. Over 5,700 trees and saplings, mainly olive trees, were also reported vandalized by settlers during these attacks.
• During the 2025 olive harvest season, Palestinian access to agricultural lands located behind the West Bank Barrier remained highly restricted. Initial field information indicates that most agricultural gates and checkpoints were either closed or operated for a very limited number of days and hours, often without prior notice or under inconsistent coordination arrangements. Farmers continued to report facing long waiting times, extensive security checks, and access denial. In several areas, families found their olive trees vandalized, uprooted, or already harvested upon gaining access.
• For example, in Ramallah governorate, of the 18 access points used in previous seasons (15 agricultural gates and three checkpoints), access has so far been granted through three access points: Beituniya gate, Beituniya checkpoint, and Rantis checkpoint. In Rantis, access was granted to only one of two families owning land behind the Barrier, allowing them to access their land on 7 and 8 October via Rantis checkpoint. However, upon arrival on the first day, they found their olive groves burned. The access request by the second family was denied by Israeli authorities, according to the affected family. In Beituniya, access was permitted between 21 and 25 October, during which families faced long waiting hours and extensive searches, and only about 40 farmers reached their lands due to the low-yield season and uncertainty related to the access schedule.
• In Jerusalem governorate, only seven of 13 Barrier access points in Jerusalem were opened this season. Access was limited to four days in total, with some gates or checkpoints opened for agricultural access on 21 October and others on 22 October. Families reported lengthy waiting periods and repeated denial of access. For instance, families who managed to access their lands behind the Barrier through Al Jib checkpoint found that most of their olive trees near Giv’at Ze’ev settlement had already been harvested. Similarly, families who crossed to their land through Beit Ijza Barrier gate discovered that at least 10 of their olive trees near Giv’on Hadasha settlement had been uprooted or damaged.
• In the northern West Bank, including Qalqiliya and Tulkarm governorates, access to the ‘seam zone’ area behind the Barrier was granted only between 20 October and 6 November, excluding Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays – significantly reducing available harvesting days. Gate openings were frequently delayed by up to 30 minutes, and permits were cancelled for farmers who failed to register biometric exits on scheduled days. In Akkaba village in Tulkarm governorate, access was further delayed until 20 November, raising concerns over fruit overripening and potential theft.
• To safeguard farmers’ access to their lands during the olive harvest and mitigate risks associated with settler violence and movement restrictions, Protection Cluster and Food Security Sector partners expanded protection services and the provision of humanitarian assistance and coordination services to communities across the West Bank. These included: protection by presence and accompaniment, legal aid, real-time access coordination, emergency preparedness sessions, agricultural support, first-aid kits, documentation, and referrals to mental health and psycho-social support and other services. In dozens of pre-identified high-risk locations, partners disseminated guidance to farmers on seeking assistance through emergency contact numbers. Moreover, partners deployed more than 500 volunteers to support farmers in olive picking and provided agricultural equipment to farmers in areas highly affected by attacks and access constraints. Distributed assistance included 221 ladders, 578 mats, 341 hand saws, 1,274 combs, and 30 scissors. In total, these efforts facilitated collective harvesting and supported the livelihoods of 249 farmers in 31 villages and towns across the West Bank.

Funding

• As of 12 November 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately $1.49 billion out of the $4 billion (37 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, under the 2025 Flash Appeal for the OPT. Nearly 88 per cent of the requested funds is for the humanitarian response in Gaza, with just over 12 per cent for the West Bank. During October 2025, the oPt Humanitarian Fund managed 135 ongoing projects, totalling $77.7 million, to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (87 per cent) and the West Bank (13 per cent). Of these projects, 63 are being implemented by international NGOs, 56 by national NGOs and 16 by UN agencies. Notably, 69 out of the 79 projects implemented by international NGOs 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.