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ISLAMABAD: In 2025, Israeli forces and settlers killed a total of 240 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including 55 children, according to a humanitarian update released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).&nbsp;Of the total, 225 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, nine by settlers, and six in circumstances where responsibility remains unclear.&nbsp;In just two weeks between December 23, 2025, and January 5, 2026, Israeli forces and settlers killed two Palestinians and injured 94 others, including 35 children.&nbsp;One Palestinian also succumbed to injuries sustained earlier in December. During the same period, two Israelis were killed and two others injured by a Palestinian from the West Bank, according to the report.&nbsp;The UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee and the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General have urged Israeli authorities to reverse plans to suspend the operations of international non-governmental organizations in the occupied Palestinian territories, noting that these groups collectively deliver close to $1 billion in annual humanitarian assistance.&nbsp;Severe winter weather has further worsened the humanitarian situation, damaging or destroying dozens of tents and makeshift shelters used by Bedouin and herding communities across the West Bank.&nbsp;The report also highlights that more than 830 Palestinians were injured by settler attacks in 2025, averaging nearly two people injured each day. Over the past two weeks, Israeli authorities demolished 50 structures in Area C and East Jerusalem for allegedly lacking building permits.&nbsp;In East Jerusalem&rsquo;s Batn al Hawa area, two Palestinian families were forcibly evicted from their homes to make way for an Israeli settler organization. In Nablus governorate, the last six families of Khirbet Yanun, who had lived there for more than 60 years, were displaced following repeated settler attacks.&nbsp;The report details several recent incidents of deadly violence. On December 23, a Palestinian man from Saffit died from injuries sustained on December 14 when he was shot by Israeli forces while attempting to cross the Barrier toward East Jerusalem near Ar Ram and Dahiyat al Bareed.&nbsp;&nbsp;On December 30, Israeli forces opened fire on a vehicle traveling between Urif and Einabus in Nablus governorate, injuring four Palestinian men in their twenties; one later died from his wounds. A Palestinian man was also shot and killed by Israeli soldiers after being accused of attempting a ramming attack, while no Israeli personnel were injured.&nbsp;On January 1, 2026, Israeli forces opened fire in Al Lubban ash Sharqiyya village, injuring two Palestinians, one of whom was arrested and later pronounced dead in an Israeli hospital. The other escaped.&nbsp;The OCHA report emphasizes that ongoing violence, demolitions, evictions, and settler attacks continue to drive displacement, insecurity, and suffering in the West Bank, disproportionately affecting children and vulnerable communities.

Middle East

The report notes Israel kills 240 Palestinians in 2025, including 55 children, amid demolitions, evictions, and settler attacks worsening insecurity and humanitarian suffering in the West Bank.

Israel kills 240 Palestinians, dozens of children among victims: UN

ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International and 52 other international humanitarian organizations warned that Israel&#39;s recent registration measures will severely impede aid delivery in Gaza and the West Bank, where needs remain critical despite a ceasefire. In a joint statement, the groups said&nbsp;they deliver more than half of all food assistance in Gaza, operate or support 60% of field hospitals and provide all treatment for children with severe acute malnutrition. If Israel allows their registrations to lapse, approximately one in three health facilities would close immediately, food distributions would halt and shelter pipelines serving 1.3 million people would collapse, according to the statement coordinated by the Norwegian Refugee Council. &quot;This is not a technical or administrative matter, but a deliberate policy choice with foreseeable consequences,&quot; the organizations wrote in the statement. One in four families in Gaza survives on one meal a day, according to the groups. Winter storms have displaced tens of thousands, they said. The organizations said they implement nearly three-quarters of shelter activities, with about 600,000 shelter items in their supply pipelines. The humanitarian groups said in the statement they operate under strict donor-mandated compliance including audits and counter-terror financing controls meeting international standards. More than 500 humanitarian workers have been killed since October&nbsp;7, 2023, the statement said. The organizations said they cannot transfer sensitive staff data to parties in the conflict, citing humanitarian principles and data protection requirements. The groups called on Israel to immediately halt deregistration proceedings and urged donor governments to use all available leverage to pressure Israel to reverse the actions, according to the statement. &quot;Humanitarian access is not optional, conditional, or political. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law,&quot; the statement said. In the West Bank, ongoing military raids and settler violence continue to drive displacement, the organizations said. Further restrictions on the groups would sharply reduce the reach of aid assistance. The statement said the move would set a dangerous precedent by extending Israeli authority over humanitarian operations in the occupied Palestinian territory. Signatories include Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, CARE International, Islamic Relief, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Danish Refugee Council and the American Friends Service Committee, according to the statement.

The aid organizations said the move would set a dangerous precedent by extending Israeli authority over humanitarian operations in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Amnesty International, 52 aid groups warn Israel threatens Gaza aid operations

ISLAMABAD: Israeli forces imposed a lockdown on a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, their second day of operations there after a local resident killed two people in Israel. &quot;The IDF (Israeli army) is operating forcefully against terror hubs in the village of Qabatiya... accompanied by a lockdown and a complete cordon around the locality,&quot; Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement published by his office on Saturday. &quot;We will continue to pursue an uncompromising offensive policy against Palestinian terror,&quot; he added. Bilal Hunaisha, a resident of Qabatiya, south of Jenin in the northern West Bank, said the town &quot;is being subjected to collective punishment by the Israeli occupation&quot;. &quot;As you can see, they blocked the way to my house and I am no longer able to move around,&quot; he told AFP, pointing to a pile of rubble obstructing the road. In the attack on Friday a 34-year-old Palestinian man killed two people in northern Israel. The assailant, who had been working illegally in Israel, had used his employer&#39;s vehicle to ram into a 68-year-old man and then stabbed an 18-year-old girl to death, according to Israeli police. A few hours later, the Israeli army and the Shin Bet domestic security agency began operating in Qabatiya. They searched the perpetrator&#39;s house and questioned suspects, the army said. On Saturday, the army&#39;s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered the reinforcement of troops deployed in the area. &quot;This period is characterized by lone attackers and individuals staying illegally in (Israel). Enforcement against those who transport and employ them must be strengthened and improved,&quot; he said, according to an army statement. &quot;At the same time, we must continue to enhance our capabilities to identify and thwart these attackers.&quot; Qabatiya resident Muhannad Zakarneh told AFP that the army arrested him at home at 6 am &quot;for no obvious reasons&quot; and kept him handcuffed for hours. &quot;When I asked what my charge was, there was no response,&quot; he said. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that besides blocking entrances and conducting interrogations and home searches, Israeli forces also took over a school and used it as a &quot;detention and interrogation center&quot;. Since the start of the war ON Gaza, at least 38 people, including two foreigners, have been killed inside Israel, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. During the same period, violence has also surged in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. Israeli troops and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an AFP tally based on figures from the Palestinian health ministry. According to official Israeli figures, at least 44 Israelis, both soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the same period in the West Bank.

Israeli forces imposed a lockdown on Qabatiya village in the West Bank after two Israelis were killed.

Israel seals off Palestinian village after deadly attack

ISLAMABAD: An Israeli reservist soldier ran over a Palestinian man while he was praying by the roadside, according to footage broadcast by CNN.&nbsp;The incident, which has been widely reported by international media citing Reuters, shows the man being struck as he prayed, sparking condemnation and raising questions over the conduct of Israeli security personnel in the occupied territories.&nbsp;In a statement, the Israeli military said it had received footage showing an armed individual running over a Palestinian man, adding that the driver was a reservist whose military service had since been terminated.&nbsp;The military said the reservist acted in severe violation of his authority and that his weapon had been confiscated.&nbsp;Israeli media reported that the reservist was placed under house arrest following the incident.&nbsp;The Palestinian man was taken to hospital for medical checks after the incident, as per media reports.&nbsp;In a separate incident, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces on Friday fatally shot a Palestinian man east of Gaza City. The victim, identified as Uday al-Maqadma, was reportedly sitting near the entrance of a school when Israeli forces opened fire. He was taken to hospital in critical condition and later died of his injuries.&nbsp;Wafa said the killing comes amid continued Israeli military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have carried out near-daily raids, arrests and use of live fire since the start of the war.&nbsp;Palestinian health officials say dozens of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank during these operations, which Israeli authorities describe as security measures targeting militants.&nbsp;The agency also reported that two Palestinians were shot dead earlier this week in Gaza City&rsquo;s Shujaiya neighborhood during Israeli military activity in the area.

The footage, shared by CNN, shows the man being struck as he prayed, sparking condemnation and raising questions over the conduct of Israeli security personnel in the occupied territories.

Israeli reservist rams vehicle into praying Palestinian man

ISLAMABAD: Children across Gaza and the West Bank are experiencing unprecedented levels of abuse and psychological trauma, with protection services struggling to meet escalating needs amid critical funding shortages, according to two newly released humanitarian reports. According to the &quot;Protecting Children in Gaza Strip&quot; report, the scale of harm in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. More than 64,000 children have been killed or injured in conflict-related violence since October 2023 The reported stated that the psychological impact is near-universal, with nearly all 1.1 million children requiring mental health and psychosocial support, the report states. Children are displaying signs of distress including nightmares, aggression, depression and suicidal thoughts. An estimated 11,000 children have sustained life-altering injuries requiring long-term rehabilitation. Family structures have collapsed, leaving 58,550 children who have lost one or both parents, according to the Gaza report, whilst 5,128 children have been identified as unaccompanied or separated from caregivers between January and October 2025. Education has virtually ceased, with 658,000 children out of school and 89% of schools sustaining major damage or destruction, as per the report. Desperate families are resorting to exploitative measures, with one in four sending children into hazardous work&mdash;some as young as six years old. West Bank crisis intensifies Meanwhile in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, children face a different but equally alarming protection crisis. The report &quot;Children in the West Bank: An Escalating Protection Crisis&quot; states that case management partners report rising cases of neglect and emotional abuse driven by poverty, displacement and family stress. More than 14,000 children were affected by home demolitions between January and April 2025, according to the West Bank report. Meanwhile 32,000 people, including thousands of children, were forcibly displaced in the northern West Bank at the start of the year. Children in detention represent a major concern, with the report showing they accounted for 20% of case management cases in the second quarter of 2025, with boys aged 13-17 most affected. According to the report, detained children are often denied access to families and lawyers and face high risks of physical and psychological violence. Children with disabilities remain particularly vulnerable across both regions. The Gaza report shows 23,969 children with disabilities received tailored support, whilst the West Bank report indicates 4,808 were reached with dedicated services. Funding crisis threatens response Despite significant achievements, such as 896,300 children and caregivers reached with specialized protection services in Gaza, according to the Gaza report, and 155,239 children reached in the West Bank as per the West Bank report, humanitarian efforts face severe constraints. Only 16% of the $121.2m requested for child protection in Gaza has been received, the Gaza report states. The West Bank requires $8.9m, with the West Bank report noting that funding shortfalls are limiting service sustainability.

Children in Gaza and the West Bank endure severe violence, psychological trauma, and disrupted education, while humanitarian protection services struggle due to critical funding gaps and escalating needs.

Gaza, West Bank children face escalating trauma amid funding shortages

PARIS: Four European nations Thursday urged Israel to stop what they called increasing &quot;settler violence against Palestinian civilians&quot; in the occupied West Bank.&nbsp;&quot;We -- France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom -- strongly condemn the massive increase of settler violence against Palestinian civilians and call for stability in the West Bank,&quot; they said.&nbsp;&quot;These attacks must stop,&quot; they added, saying they risked undermining plans to end the Gaza war and prospects for long-term peace.&nbsp;Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.&nbsp;Violence in the West Bank has soared since Palestinian militant group Hamas&#39;s October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.&nbsp;It has not ceased despite the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas coming into effect last month.&nbsp;Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank -- many of them militants, but also scores of civilians -- since the start of the Gaza war, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures.&nbsp;At least 44 Israelis, including both soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures.&nbsp;Israel&#39;s military on Wednesday launched a new operation against Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank. A local governor told AFP that Israeli forces had raided several towns.

Europe

France, Germany, Italy and the UK urged Israel to halt rising settler violence in the West Bank, warning it endangers Gaza ceasefire efforts. West Bank casualties have surged as Israeli forces launch new operations across several towns.

Four European nations urge Israel to end West Bank 'settler violence'

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Wednesday announced a new &quot;counterterrorism&quot; operation in the north of the occupied West Bank. The military and internal security service said in a joint statement that they &quot;began operating as part of a broad counterterrorism operation in the area of northern Samaria&quot;, using the Israeli biblical term for part of the West Bank. The operation was new and not part of its counterterrorism operation launched in January 2024, which primarily targets Palestinian refugee camps, the Israeli army told AFP.

Israel’s military launched a new counterterrorism operation in the northern occupied West Bank, separate from its 2024 campaign. A joint statement with internal security services said the broadened operation targets “northern Samaria,” using Israel’s biblical term for the area.

Israeli army announces new operation in northern West Bank

JERUSALEM: An organization representing international media in Israel and the Palestinian territories on Monday condemned attacks by Israeli settlers on journalists in the occupied West Bank, urging Israeli authorities to halt the &quot;violence immediately&quot;.&nbsp;The Foreign Press Association (FPA), which represents hundreds of foreign journalists, said it was &quot;appalled&quot; by the recent attacks, especially during this year&#39;s olive harvest.&nbsp;&quot;Journalists, both local and foreign, have proven to be a clear target as they document an unprecedented level of unchecked violence against Palestinians during this year&#39;s olive harvest,&quot; the association said, citing two incidents involving journalists from international media outlets.&nbsp;The FPA said that on Saturday two employees of Reuters wearing clearly marked press vests and helmets were assaulted by masked Israeli civilians armed with clubs and rocks near the Palestinian village of Beita.&nbsp;&quot;A mob of dozens of settlers beat one of the employees, a female reporter, while she was already on the ground, resulting in severe injuries,&quot; the FPA said.&nbsp;&quot;They also attacked those who tried to help her. A Reuters security person was hit, and two Palestinian freelance journalists were injured while being chased.&quot;&nbsp;On October 10, settlers beat a veteran AFP photographer with sticks when filming the olive harvest in the same area.&nbsp;His car, along with a handful of others parked at a safe distance from the field, was stoned and then set on fire by the assailants.&nbsp;&quot;The photographer, who testified it was one of the worst attacks in his 30-year career, reported that Israeli forces at the scene refused to intervene, instead firing rubber bullets and tear gas at olive pickers and activists accompanying them,&quot; the FPA said.&nbsp;Several such incidents have occurred in the last few weeks, the FPA added.&nbsp;&quot;Israeli forces routinely harass and intimidate journalists, in some cases detaining them and threatening them with deportation,&quot; the FPA said.&nbsp;&quot;This is all part of a deepening climate of hostility toward the media by Israeli authorities,&quot; it added, urging the authorities to investigate the incidents and hold the perpetrators accountable.&nbsp;&quot;In particular, we urge central command head Major General Avi Bluth and police commander Moshe Pinchi to uphold their duties to ensure that journalists can work freely and safely,&quot; the association said.&nbsp;&quot;There cannot be press freedom in an environment in which journalists are threatened and harmed with complete impunity.&quot;&nbsp;Some 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the Palestinian territory and some of them have also attacked farmers trying to access their olive trees almost every day this year since the season began in mid-October, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.&nbsp;Almost none of the perpetrators have been held to account by the Israeli authorities.&nbsp;Violence in the West Bank has soared since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.

The Foreign Press Association condemned Israeli settler attacks on journalists in the occupied West Bank, urging authorities to stop the violence, investigate assaults on reporters, and ensure press freedom amid rising unrest since the Gaza war.

International media association denounces Israeli settler attacks on journalists

ISLAMABAD: United States&nbsp;President Donald Trump says that Israel is &quot;not going to do anything&quot; in the West Bank, after Israeli lawmakers advanced bills paving the way for annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory, AFP reported.&nbsp; &quot;Don&#39;t worry about the West Bank, Israel&#39;s not going to do anything with the West Bank,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday when asked if he is concerned by the votes in the Israeli parliament. &ldquo;Is that your question? They are not gonna do anything with the West Bank. Israel is doing very well. They are not gonna do anything with it,&rdquo; he added. &nbsp;&nbsp; Muslim nations condemn Israel&rsquo;s plans for West BankMeanwhile, Pakistan and several Muslim-majority nations have strongly condemned Israel&rsquo;s move to impose &ldquo;so-called sovereignty&rdquo; over the occupied West Bank, calling it a clear violation of international law and United Nations resolutions.&nbsp;In a joint statement released by Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office late Thursday, the countries, including Jordan, Indonesia, T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Malaysia, Qatar, and the State of Palestine, denounced Israel&rsquo;s Knesset for approving two draft laws aimed at annexing parts of the occupied Palestinian territory.&nbsp;&ldquo;We condemn in the strongest terms the approval of Israeli Knesset draft laws aiming to impose a so-called &lsquo;Israeli sovereignty&rsquo; over the occupied West Bank and illegal colonial settlements,&rdquo; the statement read.&nbsp;The joint communiqu&eacute; described the measures as a &ldquo;blatant violation of international law&rdquo; and of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemns Israeli attempts to alter &ldquo;the demographic composition, character, and status&rdquo; of the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.&nbsp;The statement also reaffirmed that &ldquo;Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory,&rdquo; referencing the International Court of Justice&rsquo;s (ICJ) advisory opinion that declared settlement construction and annexation measures in the West Bank illegal.&nbsp;The countries welcomed the ICJ&rsquo;s Advisory Opinion of October 22, 2025, which reaffirmed Israel&rsquo;s obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the supply of essential goods to Palestinians, including through UNRWA and other UN agencies.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Court confirmed Israel&rsquo;s obligation to respect the prohibition on the use of starvation,&rdquo; the statement noted, adding that the ICJ had recalled Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;blocking of aid into the Gaza Strip&rdquo; and reaffirmed the ban on mass forcible transfer or deportation of civilians.&nbsp;The signatories further emphasized the Palestinian people&rsquo;s right to self-determination and independent statehood, stressing that Israel&rsquo;s territorial claim over East Jerusalem had been declared &ldquo;null and void&rdquo; by the Security Council.&nbsp;&ldquo;We call on the international community to shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities and compel Israel to cease its dangerous escalation and unlawful measures,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;Reaffirming support for a two-state solution, the countries reiterated that the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, remains &ldquo;the only path toward achieving a just and comprehensive peace.&rdquo;

'Don't worry about the West Bank, Israel's not going to do anything with the West Bank,' Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he is concerned by the votes in the Israeli parliament.

Israel 'not going to do anything' with West Bank: Trump 

RAMALLAH: Israeli forces shot dead an 11-year-old boy in the occupied West Bank, his family and health officials said Friday, while the army said its troops opened fire at rock throwers.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The Palestinian health ministry said that Mohammad Hallaq was shot dead on Thursday by Israeli soldiers &quot;in the town of Al-Rihiya, south of Hebron. The bullet penetrated his pelvis.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Hallaq&#39;s uncle, also named Mohammad Hallaq, told AFP the child was sitting in front of his house when an army patrol passed by during a confrontation with a group of older youths.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&quot;(The soldiers) fired directly at (the older boys), and he was killed,&quot; the uncle told AFP, adding the child was sitting away from the youths.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The Israeli military told AFP that soldiers had shot and struck people during an altercation while deployed in Al-Rihiya.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&quot;Soldiers responded with fire toward the suspects in the rock-hurling. Hits were identified,&quot; it said, using the language it generally uses to say troops shot and hit someone.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Ayed Abu Eqtaish, an official for Defence for Children International Palestine, a rights organisation, said the incident took place around 5:00 pm (1400 GMT), after which Hallaq was transported to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The number of children and teenagers shot dead by Israeli forces in the West Bank after being suspected of throwing rocks dramatically increased in 2025.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;A Palestinian teenager who held US citizenship was shot dead by the army in April, followed by a 14-year-old in June in the town of Sinjil in June, and a 15-year-old in July.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;On each occasion, the military said the youths had thrown rocks at its troops.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The Palestinian health ministry also reported on Thursday evening that an adult, 20-year-old Mahdi Kamil, was killed by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The Israeli military told AFP that its troops killed a Palestinian militant in Qabatiya on Thursday after he threw &quot;an explosive device&quot; towards soldiers deployed in the area.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&quot;The soldiers responded with fire and eliminated the terrorist,&quot; it said.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 where violence has surged since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Since then, Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 986 Palestinians in the West Bank,&nbsp;including many militants, according to health ministry figures.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Over the same period, at least 43 Israelis, including members of security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official figures.

 Palestinians gather for Friday prayers amid the rubble of a destroyed building in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Friday, October 17, 2025. (AP)

The Palestinian health ministry said that Mohammad Hallaq was shot dead on Thursday by Israeli soldiers "in the town of Al-Rihiya, south of Hebron. The bullet penetrated his pelvis."

Articles tagged with "occupied West Bank"