Urgent health update: Consequences of War on Gaza and the West Bank/East Jerusalem - January 10, 2026
Our “winter break” did not turn out to be much of a break: the genocide as sham “ceasefire” in Gaza continues, ethnic cleansing intensified in the West Bank, and Israel also bombed Syria and Lebanon, the US military invaded Venezuela, and ICE storm troopers murdered a woman in Minneapolis, left another clinging to life in Portland, and promise more is on the way. We urge you to deepen your involvement in all struggles to defeat the US slide into fascism and hope our Urgent Health Update, posted every 2 weeks, supports your efforts. Please let us know how our Update could be more useful to you: here
After more than 80 days into the so-called ceasefire agreement, signed 10/25, Israel continues to kill and injure Palestinians across the Gaza Strip while bombing, shelling and destroying areas across the vague yellow line – a line which is constantly moving further westwards. Israel is also still preventing the entry of shelters and basic supplies during brutal storms and freezing temperatures, while tents are flooded and partially-destroyed buildings collapse on top of people. At least three Palestinians were injured when Israeli soldiers targeted the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, with witnesses saying the attack happened in an area from which Israeli forces had withdrawn under the purported ceasefire agreement. Israel carried out an air raid on the eastern areas of al-Bureij camp in central Gaza, as well as artillery shelling east of Rafah and in eastern parts of Gaza City. (Electronic Intifada 12/31)
An inspiration- congratulations to the just graduated class of Palestinian medical students in Gaza! A class of 168 Palestinian medical students marked their graduation as physicians in a ceremony staged in front of the damaged facade of Gaza City’s AlShifa Hospital, the Strip’s largest medical facility—an act organizers framed as both resistance and the insistence on professional life amid devastation. Calling themselves the “Humanity Cohort,” the new doctors received their Palestinian Board certifications, completing their advanced training while working relentlessly inside Gaza’s collapsing health system throughout two years of genocide. Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, AlShifa’s medical director, said the ceremony was a direct rebuttal to Israel’s effort to break Palestinian society by destroying its healthcare infrastructure. “They sought to erase Palestine’s human capital by attacking hospitals and medical staff,” he told attendees. “But they did not succeed.” here
Action Item
Demand that Congress investigate all ICE deaths, defund and abolish ICE. Here:
Marwan Barghouti—Palestine's most popular political leader—has endured 23 years of unjust imprisonment. International observers found his trial violated basic legal standards. Since October 2023, reports describe intensified torture: guards beating him unconscious, breaking his ribs and teeth, and cutting off part of his ear. Tell your representatives to demand Israel release Dr. Abu Safiya, Marwan Barghouti, and all political prisoners in Palestine.
Webinar
Next JVP Health Advisory Council webinar: Starvation, Social Death, and Genocide. With: Alex de Wall and Sarah El Khatib, Sunday 11 January, 10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern Register here. Read More with Spanish interpretation.
PALESTINE HEALTH ALLIANCE UPCOMING CONFERENCE: We are pleased to invite you to the 3rd PHA Symposium, titled “Disability and Human Rights Violations: Political Maiming, Social Violations, and Rehabilitation Needs”. The symposium will take place remotely via Zoom and is scheduled on 1/27/26, from 3:00 pm to 5:15 pm Palestine/Lebanon time. To register for the symposium, or to invite and share the event with others, please use the link below no later than 1/25/26. here
Peer-reviewed literature
Research Articles
The Lancet eClinicalMedicine: This study used longitudinal survey data to assess changes in mental health status among adults in the Gaza Strip between 2020-2025. Three surveys were conducted in the governates of Gaza, North Gaza, and Rafah in 2020, 2023 (prior to 10/7), and 2025. A total of 677 participants completed all three surveys (from 2,980 in 2020 and 1,547 in 2023). High psychological distress increased from 19.5% in 2020 and 17.4% in 2023 to 67.2% in 2025. In adjusted models, odds of psychological distress were 12 times higher in 2025 compared to 2020. Theauthors conclude that “future mental health interventions and rehabilitation efforts should build on, strengthen, and collaborate with existing organisations and programmes to enhance reach and effectiveness in Gaza.” here
BMC Public Health: A cross-sectional online survey conducted between March-June 2025 among individuals aged ≥ 6 years (n=440) assessed the prevalence of hepatitis A virus in the Gaza Strip. More than 30% of participants reported being diagnosed with hepatitis A between 2023-2025. Diagnoses were significantly higher among younger individuals and displaced populations, particularly residents of North Gaza. In adjusted models, living in shelters, poor sanitation conditions, inadequate handwashing before eating, and low satisfaction with toilet hygiene were significantly associated with higher odds of diagnosis. The authors emphasize “the urgent need for targeted humanitarian interventions, including WASH restoration, hygiene promotion, and consideration of hepatitis A vaccination.” here
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery: This article presents results from a retrospective cohort study of civilians with conflict-related otologic trauma who presented to the Nasser Medical Complex in the Gaza Strip between May to July 2025. The majority of injuries (~80%) were caused by blast mechanisms and bilateral ear involvement was frequent. Facial palsy was documented in 10.9% of patients. Older age and longer time since injury were independently associated with greater sensorineural severity. No patients underwent nerve exploration or repair. The authors emphasize that “explosive weapons used in densely populated settings often disproportionately injure craniofacial nerves and lead to otologic trauma. During the Israeli military invasion of Gaza, the collapse of referral pathways and surgical capacity constrained otologic and craniofacial care.” here
Haemophilia: This article examines the plight of patients with congenital bleeding disorders (CBD) amid Israel’s ongoing siege and destruction of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. Through a review of scientific literature, reports from non-governmental organizations, and personal interviews with patient associations, the authors found that “patients with CBD face chronic shortages of clotting factor medications, lack of comprehensive treatment centres and reliance on episodic rather than prophylactic therapy…lead[ing] to increased complications and disability for approximately 562 Palestinians with CBD…. International aid efforts, such as support from the World Federation of Hemophilia and Haemo-Pal project, aim to improve care but are hampered by ongoing conflict, restricted movement and bureaucratic delays.” here
Commentaries & Editorials
BMJ Global Health: This commentary discusses the long-term impacts of “the blockade-induced starvation of children in Gaza” emphasizing how “childhood malnutrition disrupts brain development, impairs physical growth, predisposes to chronic disease and diminishes cognitive and economic potential.” The authors underscore the global community’s ethical obligation to mount a “coordinated, evidence-informed response from the WHO and humanitarian agencies” noting that “without decisive action, an entire generation faces irreversible health deficits and compromised developmental potential, perpetuating cycles of poverty and instability.” here
Harvard fires Director of Center for Health and Human Rights, Mary Bassett, who had been criticized by the Trump administration. here
Reports
DCIP ANNUAL REPORT Defense for Children International - Palestine has released their 2025 Year in Review report that details human rights violations against Palestinian children, which can be accessed here.
B’tselem: "No Place Under Heaven": Forced displacement in the Gaza Strip, 2023-2025 here
OHCHR Report: Over the past two years, the Knesset has advanced a wide range of laws, the cumulative effect of which is to entrench and deepen the regime of apartheid, control, and repression over all Palestinians living under Israeli control. This report surveys and analyzes the key laws passed between 10/7/23 and 1/27/25. here, here, here
Ceasefires in the Gaza Genocide: A Historical Perspective by Eve Spangler. Perhaps the most succinct analyses of the Gaza situation is offered by Palestinian poet, Dr. Rafaat Alareer. Alareer, since a casualty of the genocide, suggests that for Israelis addressing Palestinians, the real meaning of ceasefire is “we fire, you cease.” here
GAZA
Israel continues to violate the 10/10 ceasefire with daily demolitions of residential buildings, farmland and public infrastructure, as well as military strikes on tent camps, refugees, agricultural lands and public gathering places. Palestinian sea access and fishing are prohibited. Over 50% of Gaza remains behind the mostly unmarked “yellow line” in which Palestinians are not allowed.
Flooding, heavy winter storms, and dropping temperatures further degrade unsafe living conditions, particularly for women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Israel continues to prohibit entry of supplies, worsening everything with these new tactics of genocide.
· In the 2nd half of December, Israel killed 17 people and injured 70.
· Since the 10/10 “ceasefire,” Israel has killed at least 414 Palestinians and injured 1,145.
· Since 10/07/2023: 71,266+ killed, 171,222+ injured.
· Israeli soldiers in Gaza: 471 killed, 2,995 injured (0 deaths, 6 injured in the past 2 weeks).
· Israeli Hostages in Gaza: 0. All live hostages have been released; 1 body has yet to be recovered/ returned.
For more information: here
· Israel extends Gaza occupation beyond ‘yellow line’ in north, bombs south. Israeli attacks have killed at least 414 Palestinians and injured 1,145 in daily truce violations since 10/10. Israeli military has spent the past 24 hours expanding the so-called “yellow line” in eastern Gaza, particularly in eastern Gaza City’s Tuffah, Shujayea, and Zeitoun neighbourhoods, according to Al Jazeera teams on the ground, squeezing Palestinians into ever smaller clusters of the enclave. Israeli army’s actions are also pushing it closer to the key artery of Salah al-Din Street, forcing displaced families sheltering near the area to flee as more of them come under intensive threat, as Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza shows no signs of abating. Israel now physically occupies more than 50% of the Gaza Strip. here
Health
· MOH: more than 1,500 people have become blinded or visually impaired since 10/ 2023. Before the genocide erupted in the Gaza Strip, specialized institutions for people who were blind or had limited vision worked actively despite the tight siege on the enclave. UNRWA ran a Rehabilitation Center for the Visually Impaired, offering programs to children aged 8 to 12. UNRWA’s rehabilitation center also provided braille machines, canes, visual aids, and recreational activities like sport and music. Another governmental school located in al-Zahra neighborhood, in the central Gaza Strip, offered people who were blind or with limited vision middle and secondary education. The Islamic University of Gaza also supported blind students with accessible facilities, specialized technical tools, dedicated staff and an adapted inclusion approach. Now Israel even blocks entry to eye drops for blind people. (Electronic Intifada 12/25)
· Shortages of laboratory and blood bank supplies in Gaza have reached catastrophic levels. 90% of blood testing and transfusion supplies have been completely depleted; 75% of chemistry testing materials are unavailable; essential tests, including for patients with endocrine disorders, cancer, kidney transplants, and blood electrolyte imbalances, have been suspended; and 72% of bacterial culture testing materials are unavailable as of 1/7. Israel continues to severely restrict the amount of aid allowed into Gaza in violation of the ceasefire agreement. (Drop Site 1/7)
· Hospitals face a critical situation with a surge in patient numbers, severe shortage of medication and daily deaths, per to Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the director of the Al-Shifa medical complex. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Dr. Abu Salmiya said that the number of injuries resulting from Israeli bombings has decreased, “there has been a significant increase in hospital admissions due to the current severe flu outbreak” in Gaza, “which is disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable groups.” These include the sick, elderly, pregnant women, and children under a year old. (Palestine Chronicle 1/6)
· Doctors at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza warned the destruction of X-ray and imaging equipment is putting patients’ lives at risk, with clinicians forced to make critical decisions without basic diagnostic tools. Emergency physician Abdel Rahim Al-Adawi said doctors are “working blind” after Israeli forces destroyed labs and imaging units, leaving staff unable to determine causes of respiratory distress, fractures, or internal bleeding, Hospital officials said hundreds of patients each day are denied access to a proper diagnosis. Radiology chief Mohammed Mattar described the situation as a “complete diagnostic collapse” and urged urgent international intervention, warning that delays in restoring imaging capacity will cost lives. (Drop Site 1/9)
· 1/9, Israeli forces carried out a series of attacks across Gaza, killing least 14 Palestinians – including five children -- in a wave of attacks across Gaza. The deadliest strikes hit tents and shelters for displaced families in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, the Jabaliya refugee damp, and Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah neighborhood, while schools, residential homes, and a child in eastern Zeitoun were also targeted. Civil defense crews in the Strip responded to fires, recovered bodies, and treated wounded civilians, including children, with bombardment continuing across northern and southern Gaza. (Drop Site 1/9) here
Gaza Civil Defense said it has begun search operations to recover the bodies of Palestinians missing under the rubble of homes destroyed in Gaza City, starting at a house belonging to the Abu Ramadan family, where around 60 people had been sheltering. It has done so in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross and local institutions, and officials say teams are working with basic hand tools after Israeli attacks destroyed most heavy rescue equipment. Civil Defense has requested at least 20 bulldozers and 20 excavators, noting the disparity in equipment available to recover Israeli bodies versus what is denied for Palestinian recovery efforts. Drop site 12/16/25
Aid: New Israeli rules further limit aid to Gaza
· 1/1/26, the Israeli government adopted new “security and transparency” rules that prohibit 37 international aid agencies from working in Gaza. The government has refused to change the rules that violate principles of humanitarian aid provision and the safety of NGO employees. here
· 12/30/25 UN urged “the Israeli authorities to reconsider today's announcement on international NGOs, which are an essential part of the life-saving humanitarian operation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory… Humanitarian access is not optional, conditional or political.” here
· Instead, Israeli has banned 37 international organizations from operating in Gaza, including: ActionAid, AFSC, CARE, Caritas, Handicap International, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, MSF/Doctors without Borders, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, World Vision, and others. (See complete list here.
· UN notes: “The deregistration of INGOs in Gaza will have a catastrophic impact on access to essential and basic services. INGOs run or support the majority of field hospitals, primary healthcare centers, emergency shelter responses, water and sanitation services, nutrition stabilization centers for children with acute malnutrition, and critical mine action activities. All 5 stabilization centers for children with severe acute malnutrition are supported by INGOs, representing 100% of the in-patient capacity to treat children with life-threatening malnutrition. If INGOs are forced to stop operations, 1 in 3 health facilities in Gaza will close.”
· 12/17-29, of 86 missions coordinated with Israeli authorities: 46 were facilitated, 22 impeded, 5 denied, and 13 cancelled.
· Read these detailed reports on aid delivered during the 1st months of the “ceasefire.” here and 2nd here A summary infographic is here.
· Donors attempting to send humanitarian aid to Gaza are facing a “financial siege” as Israeli and international banks systematically block transactions. Institutions like Bank Hapoalim and Isracard have designated Gaza a “hostile territory,” effectively freezing direct transfers. Even small donations meant for families in tents are often flagged if the word “Gaza” appears in the description. To bypass these obstacles, volunteers have established complex workarounds. Some use Canadian nonprofits to vet donors and recipients, while others have turned to cryptocurrency apps. Despite the risks, activists argue these methods are the only way to provide essentials like food, winter supplies, and medicine to displaced families. Established NGOs, such as Physicians for Human Rights, are also caught in the fray, facing threatened account freezes and investigations. Activists and legal challengers argue that these blanket restrictions are causing a humanitarian catastrophe for civilians struggling to survive the winter. here
· UNRWA said it continues to operate across Gaza and provide lifesaving aid, despite Israeli efforts to shut it down. The organization remains the primary humanitarian aid provider in the enclave. The agency said its staff delivers roughly 40% of primary healthcare, supplies water and sanitation to hundreds of thousands, and provides mental health support to more than 700,000 displaced people, while also assisting the effort to reopen Gaza’s schools. (Drop Site 12/15)
Food & Nutrition
· Following the 12/19/25 update of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the UN Secretary-General stated that while famine conditions in Gaza have abated and food access has improved, these gains remain “fragile – perilously so” as acute food insecurity and malnutrition remain at critically high levels. As needs are growing faster than aid delivery, he called for a durable ceasefire and urged the need for “more crossings, the lifting of restrictions on critical items, the removal of red tape, safe routes inside Gaza, sustained funding, and unimpeded access – including for NGOs.” He reiterated that international humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld in the OPT and reaffirmed support for UNRWA. OCHAOPT and Drop Site 12/19, 1/7 and here
· IPC estimates that approximately 1.6 million people will continue to face Crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) through April 2026, including about 571,000 people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and approximately 1,900 people in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). This reflects a reduction from nearly 1/3 of the population projected to face catastrophic conditions in August 2025. The analysis projects that 101,000 children <5 years old will suffer acute malnutrition through October 2026, including 31,000 severe cases. While this represents a decrease from the 132,000 cases (41,000 severe) estimated in August, nutrition needs remain extensive. In addition, nearly 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are expected to require urgent nutrition support by 10/2026. Households report an average of 2 meals per day, compared with 1 in July, although 25% continue to consume only 1 meal daily.
· The IPC highlights that prolonged displacement, inadequate food availability, poor dietary diversity, disrupted markets and access constraints drive malnutrition. No children aged 6-23 months meet minimum dietary diversity standards, while 71.5% experience severe food poverty – consuming 2 or fewer (of 8) food groups per day – down from 92.4% in September, underlining the ongoing risk of long-term nutritional and developmental harm.
· 12/19, the FAO, UNICEF, the WFP and WHO underscored: “Humanitarian needs remain staggering, with current assistance addressing only the most basic survival requirements.” UNICEF’s Lucia Elmi cautioned: “food is now in markets, but many families simply cannot afford to buy it. Health facilities are barely functioning, clean water and sanitation services are scarce, and winter is bringing increasing suffering to displaced people huddling in makeshift shelters.” Calling for decisive action, the agencies stressed that “[o]nly access, supplies and funding at scale can prevent famine from returning and help Gaza move from survival to recovery.”
· The latest WFP Market Monitor shows food commodity prices remained stable 2 months into the “ceasefire” and markets show signs of recovery. While most prices remained higher than 9/2023 levels (and beyond the reach of most people), price reductions in key commodities were found compared to early 10/2025.
· WFP noted that high “coordination fees” imposed on commercial goods entering Gaza, often amounting to several thousand US dollars per truck, combined with damaged infrastructure and ongoing supply chain disruptions, drive up prices of meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables and dairy products. ¾ of households have difficulties accessing markets, due to lack of cash. 85% of retailers report insufficient cash limits their ability to restock.
· WFP reports that in the absence of cooking gas, 43% of households cook with waste (down from 55% in Nov.), 54.5% with wood, 1.5% with gas, while 1% have no cooking source at all.
· UN agencies and more than 200 international and local NGOs warned that Israel’s new registration regime for international aid groups could dismantle life-saving humanitarian operations in Gaza. In a statement, they claimed that the registration policy is forcing organizations out without a replacement for their services, and thus placing Palestinian lives at imminent risk. They reported that dozens of groups faced the prospect of deregistration by 12/31—jeopardizing roughly $1 billion in annual aid—and warned the impact would be “immediate and catastrophic.” As a result of the policy, one in three health facilities would be slated to close, 345 hospital beds would be lost, and all five inpatient centers treating children with severe acute malnutrition would be shut down. The statement also stressed that humanitarian access is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law, which Israel has failed to meet. (Drop Site 12/19)
Winter Storms harm Shelter, Water and Sanitation
· Hundreds of thousands of people are struggling in makeshift tents damaged by rain, wind and seawater waves, or damaged buildings at risk of collapse. The storms after 12/26 have triggered flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas, coastal zones, the Al Mawasi area of Khan Younis, and for anyone in a tent. Seawater has left many shelters uninhabitable, displacing people once again to higher ground and destroying their belongings. Since early December, Palestine Civil Defense reports 18 residential buildings have completely collapsed, and 110+ buildings are damaged and pose an immediate threat to thousands living in and around them. OCHAOPT, here, here, here
· MoH reports that in December, 17 people died due to the collapse of damaged buildings and 3 children died of hypothermia, including a 29-day-old infant shortly after admission to Nasser Medical Complex (MSF). MSF reports that already high rates of respiratory infections will increase throughout the winter.
· Despite providing 80,000 households (448,400 people) with 37,740 tents and 127,860 tarps, as well as bedding and clothing, the Shelter Cluster estimates that a million people lack urgently needed shelter assistance.
· Around Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, entire structures and buildings lean at sharp angles, their floors and ceilings sagging, as if melting, and staircases hang in midair. These rain-soaked ruins are not fit for habitation; they are so unstable that one gust of wind or a night of heavy rain could bring them down. Yet displaced people are living inside them due to a lack of tents and available space at shelters across Gaza. (Electronic Intifada 12/24)
· Thousands of tents supplied by China, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to shelter displaced Palestinians in Gaza offer only limited protection against rain and wind, an assessment by shelter specialists has revealed. Fierce storms in recent weeks blew down or damaged thousands of tents, affecting at least 235,000 people, according to U.N. estimates. (Guardian 1/3)
· Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster reports that the rains have stretched the already damaged infrastructure, threatening communities living near stormwater lagoons and sewage networks. Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) is trying to mitigate flooding and protect public health, but notes that entry restrictions on equipment cause emergencies. WASH Cluster notes that preparedness requires pumps, pipes and other components that Israel denies entry, and a consistent supply of fuel.
· $66 million in damages to solid and medical waste management systems includes destruction of more than 200 garbage trucks, 18 pieces of landfill equipment, 5 medical waste vehicles, 2 medical waste microwaves, 90 facilities and approximately 6,000 waste containers. The 2 main landfills, Sofa and Johr ad Dik, were inaccessible for over 24 months, forcing reliance on temporary dump sites. Collection is now largely carried out using donkey carts and tractors, and a limited number of tipper and compactor trucks. Israel continues to deny access to landfills, sufficient fuel allocations, and restricts entry of spare parts and other equipment.
· The onset of winter heightens environmental and public health risks. Rainfall and flooding increase the likelihood of waste dispersal, blocked drainage systems and contamination of water sources, potentially exacerbating health risks and the spread of disease.
· Gaza’s displaced population is facing a catastrophic winter as heavy rains and gale-force winds destroy makeshift shelters. Over 40 Palestinians have died this season from drowning, hypothermia, or building collapses. UNRWA reports that more than 42,000 tents have been damaged, leaving families to sleep in mud or flooded streets. The crisis is exacerbated by severe resource shortages. Israel classifies essential winter items—such as generators and tent poles—as “dual-use” materials, barring international NGOs from importing them. Infrastructure collapse has further intensified the danger. With over 175 km of sewage and drainage pipelines destroyed by military operations, rainwater mixes with waste, flooding camps with waist-deep toxic water. Residents describe a desperate cycle of “fixing the same tent again and again”, as the lack of adequate shelter turns a predictable weather pattern into a life-threatening disaster. here
Mountains of trash
· Over the past two years, Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been systematically destroyed by the Israeli military, including waste management services. Massive piles of garbage have accumulated across the enclave. Once busy markets and tree-shaded streets have turned into endless mountains of trash, severely exacerbating Gaza’s environmental and public health crisis. Before the war, waste collection in Gaza City was coordinated through the Yarmouk waste transfer site, located near the city stadium, and would be transported to the Johr El-Deek landfill. With Johr El Deek inaccessible—lying east of the “yellow line” with occupying Israeli military forces—the Yarmouk facility has now been transformed into a massive dumping site. The few landfill vehicles still operating in Gaza climb to the top of the Yarmouk site and dump more untreated garbage every day. Some communities resort to burning waste, sending toxic fumes into the air. Children run across the hills of rotting waste looking to scavenge what they can. here
THE WEST BANK, INCLUDING EAST JERUSALEM
· In December, Israeli forces and settlers killed 8 West Bank Palestinians (5 children) and injured 151 (48 children).
· In 2025, Israeli forces in the West Bank have killed 240 Palestinians (55 children): 225 by soldiers, 9 by settlers, and 6 where it is unclear. During 2025, Palestinians killed 17 Israelis (1 child) in the West Bank. More than 830 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers.
For more West Bank information: here
Israeli attacks
· 12/23, a Palestinian from Salfit died after being shot on 12/14 while attempting to cross the Barrier to East Jerusalem.
· 12/26, a Palestinian killed 2 Israelis and injured 2 (1 child) in 2 consecutive attacks in Israel. According to Israeli media, the man from Qabatiya killed an elderly Israeli and injured a boy with his employer’s car near Bet She'an. He then stabbed and killed an Israeli woman and injured an Israeli man in Afula. Israeli forces shot the man and carried out an operation in his hometown of Qabatiya (Jenin).
· 12/30, Israeli forces fired on a vehicle between ‘Urif and Einabus (Nablus), wounding 4 men, one of whom later died. The military said they shot, killed and withheld the body of a man after he attempted to run them over. No soldiers were injured.
· 1/1, Israeli forces shot 2 Palestinians in Al Lubban ash Sharqiyya (Nablus). One escaped, but the other was arrested and later pronounced dead in an Israeli hospital. The Israeli military said soldiers ambushed people throwing stones.
· 12/23-1/5, Israeli forces shot 6 Palestinians crossing the Barrier to East Jerusalem: 4 near Ar Ram and Dahiyat al Bareed (Jerusalem) and 2 in Qalqiliya. 12/28, a man from Izbat Salman (Qalqiliya), fell while crossing the Barrier near Ar Ram and was pronounced dead at an Israeli hospital. His body was withheld by Israeli forces. Since 10/7/23, when Israel revoked most Palestinians’ permits to access East Jerusalem and Israel, 16 Palestinians were killed and 240 injured attempting to cross the Barrier, usually in search of work during the severe economic downturn in the West Bank.
· 12/26, Israeli forces raided multiple neighborhoods in Qabatiya (Jenin) and imposed curfews, interrogated people, closed shops, and raided and sealed the family home (displacing 5 people) of the man accused of killing Israelis (above). 1/4/26, they raided Qabatiya again and delivered a military order to demolish the same house in 72 hours. They commandeered 2 multi-story buildings and 5 houses as military posts, displacing 15 families (75 people). Israeli forces blocked 5 of the town’s 7 entrances, restricting movement, and allowed ambulances to enter/ exit the town via longer, alternative routes and only following coordination with the Palestinian District Coordination Liaison (DCL).
· 12/31, Israeli forces raided Jaba’, southwest of Jenin, searched homes, forcibly evacuated 2 families, and converted a house into an interrogation center. 50 Palestinians, including the head of the village council, were arrested and interrogated; 4 were assaulted and injured.
· 12/28-30, heavy rainfall, strong winds and flash floods hit the West Bank. The Palestinian Civil Defense reported 115 incidents during 11hours on 12/29. Dozens of shelters and structures in 18 Bedouin and herding communities, some affecting families repeatedly displaced by settler violence, were damaged by storms.
· 1/6, Israeli forces fired live ammunition and teargas at students and teachers as they stormed Birzeit University. At least 8,000 students were trapped inside the university located just north of Ramallah in the West Bank. Over 40 people, mostly students, were injured as grenades were thrown at crowds. The raid came after students organized a solidarity event for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention. The main gate of the university was broken down by Israeli forces, who then spread throughout the campus. here
Demolitions and Evictions
· In December, Israel demolished 100 structures due to the lack of impossible to attain Israeli-issued building permits, displacing 147 people (71 children) and affected more than 16,200 people.
· 12/31, Israeli forces began demolishing 25 buildings in Nur Shams refugee camp (Tulkarm), targeted for demolition in an Israeli military order on 12/14. Israeli authorities rejected a legal request submitted by the families to suspend the demolitions affecting approximately 70 households, all already displaced from the camp. UNOSAT imagery from May showed 280 structures (35% of Nur Shams Camp) already destroyed or damaged. Demolitions continue in Nur Shams, Jenin and Tulkarm Camps, but the areas remain inaccessible for assessments.
· Demolished West Bank structures included 10 residences (7 inhabited), 31 agricultural and livelihood structures, and 9 water and sanitation and other structures. Walls surrounding a children’s park in Al Mughayyir village (Ramallah) were destroyed, land was bulldozed, 100 saplings uprooted. 23 shops, signboards, kiosks and other commercial structures in Kafr ‘Aqab (East Jerusalem) were destroyed in a 12-hour military operation that also injured 24 Palestinians and confiscated commercial equipment, tools and other property.
· 12/24, 8 agricultural and 3 residential structures were demolished in Area C of the West Bank in Az Za’ayyem Bedouin community (Jerusalem), displacing 31 Palestinians (17 children) and affecting 17 others. Az Za’ayyem Bedouin is among 18 communities (4,000+ people) in the E1 settlement plan area of eastern Jerusalem to create a continuous built-up area between Ma’ale Adumim settlement and Jerusalem. Since the Israeli government decided to proceed with the E1 settlement expansion plan in August, 15 structures have been demolished in Az Za’ayyem Bedouin community.
· 12/24, Israeli forces bulldozed a one-story house in Bizzariya village, northwest of Nablus, on punitive grounds, displacing 4 people (1 child). The house belonged to the family of a Palestinian who killed a security guard outside a supermarket at the Gush Etzion settlement (Bethlehem) on 7/10/25. During the demolition, the Israeli bulldozer destroyed the entrance to another house, affecting 8 people (4 children).
· 1/4, Israeli police evicted 2 Palestinian families from their 2-story building (containing 2 apartments) in Batn Al Hawa, Silwan, East Jerusalem, displacing 8 (3 children). Following the eviction, Israeli settlers took over and sealed the building, raised Israeli flags on the structure. This is the 6th eviction in Batn al Hawa since February 2024; and they are among more than 90 Batn al Hawa families (over 450 people, 200 children) at risk of forced displacement due to eviction cases filed against them by Ateret Cohanim settler organization.
Israeli Settler Attacks
· In the past week, 44 settler attacks injured 33 Palestinians (11 children). Settler attacks also displaced the entire herding community of Khirbet Yanun (Nablus).
· In 2025, more than 1,800 settler attacks caused casualties and/or property damage in 280 communities across the West Bank, primarily in Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron governorates, the highest daily average since recording began in 2006. Injuries: 1,190 Palestinians, including 838 (70%) by settlers, 339 (28%) by military, and 13 where it is unclear. 60% occurred in Ramallah and Hebron.
· 12/24, Israeli settlers burned a house under construction in Al Mazraa ash Sharqia (Ramallah), damaging its staircase, doors and façade, and vandalizing its walls.
· 12/26, masked and armed settlers from an outpost near Deir Dibwan (Ramallah) attacked at 01:00, cut the electricity lines and broke into a Palestinian-owned farm. They assaulted and bound 2 sleeping workers and stole 148 sheep. They returned around noon to attack Palestinians ploughing their land and others who had gathered following the earlier incident. Settlers shot 1 man in the leg and assaulted 9 (4 children and a 70-year-old man) with clubs and chains. They injured 12 Palestinians and stole livestock, 2 tractors and 2 other vehicles.
· 12/27, Israeli settlers attempted to break into homes in Hammamat al-Maleh herding community (Tubas), vandalized 2 structures, destroyed furniture and water tanks, and assaulted a family, injuring a 12-year-old child. Israeli forces arrived and arrested 4 family members and prevented ambulance access to the injured child for several hours.
· 12/28, following a series of attacks and intimidation, settlers drove the 6 remaining Palestinian families (22 people, 2 children) from Khirbet Yanun (Nablus), where they had lived for over 60 years. 12/21, settlers took over 2 houses and bulldozed and ploughed cultivated areas, damaging 130 dunums (32 acres). Settlers and Israeli forces repeatedly harassed teachers commuting to the community, leading the Palestinian Ministry of Education to relocate 16 young students and 6 staff to a neighboring school in Aqraba. The last remaining family was given a 7-hour deadline to leave on 12/28. Following their displacement, Israeli forces installed a road gate to block access to the area.
· 1/3, Israeli settlers from a nearby outpost attacked a house in Burin (Nablus), throwing stones, breaking windows, and injuring a 16-year-old boy.
· 1/3, Israeli settlers broke into the shelter area of a family in East Taybeh Bedouin community (Ramallah), damaging and stealing a metal gate and intimidating nearby households. This marks an escalation of attacks following the establishment of a settlement outpost next to the community.
· 1/3, Israeli settlers broke into and vandalized a home in Sinjil (Ramallah), destroying furniture and household property.
· In the Jordan valley, teenage settlers drive herds of goats into a Palestinian community in a bid to force families out – volunteers are trying to hold the line. here
Prisoners
· Marwan Barghouthi is in stable condition but remains “very thin”. Marwan Barghouthi is in stable condition and “strong in body and mind,” though “very thin,” according to Barghouthi’s lawyer Ben Marmarelli. Marmarelli said his client denied reports of a recent beating but described a severe assault on 9/15 during a transfer by the Israel Prison Service’s Nachshon Division that left him with multiple broken ribs and ongoing pain. Barghouthi also told his lawyer the September attack was the seventh assault he has suffered since 10/7/23, and said he is receiving insufficient food, accusing prison authorities of withholding rations they claim to provide. Marmarelli reports that he remains mentally resolute despite repeated abuse and prolonged deprivation. Drop site 12/16
ISRAEL
· Israel is using drones and humanitarian aid routes to smuggle narcotics into Gaza, with drugs allegedly found hidden in flour bags and aid trucks, according to Al Jazeera. Palestinian leaders say the tactic is intended to fracture society while Israel continues to block food and medical supplies. (Drop Site 12/15)
· Israeli Knesset gave final approval to a bill to prohibit electricity and water supplies to offices of UNRWA with immediate effect. During the voting session, Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen defended the bill, alleging that UNRWA served as an operational arm of Hamas. The move has been condemned by UNRWA as “outrageous” and “a direct affront” to the mandate granted to UNRWA by the U.N. General Assembly. (Palestine Chronicle 12/30)
· Over the last two years, Israel (and the US) has gone after the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA. And now, Israel is coming for international NGOs – effectively barring 37 groups, including Doctors Without Borders, the Norwegian Refugee Council, the International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, World Vision, and Handicap International, from operating in the decimated Gaza Strip and in the West Bank. On 12/30/25, Israel issued notices to these 37 NGOs, informing them that their registration would expire the following day, and giving them 60 days to “cease operations” in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Why? Because Israel wants to make sure that there are no foreign witnesses or critics to its (continued) genocide in Gaza and its attacks in the West Bank and is only registering those NGOs that are uncritical of Israel – in every way. (Zeteo 1/7)
· While 23 aid groups have agreed to the new rules, UN-led bodies warn they can only provide a fraction of the required response for a population facing widespread hunger and homelessness. The move has drawn international condemnation from countries including the U.K., France, and Canada, which have urged Israel to lift these restrictions and ensure sustainable humanitarian access to address the catastrophic conditions in Gaza. here Related BMJ News Article: here
· Israel authorized the use of electronic tracking devices on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The IDF’s Central Command issued a directive for real-time surveillance of Palestinians placed under administrative movement restrictions, regardless of whether the person has been charged with a crime. The order explicitly exempts Jewish settlers, according to a statement from Defense Minister Israel Katz. Drop site 1/6/26
· Israel’s government told its Supreme Court that a blanket ban on independent foreign media access to Gaza should remain in place, citing security risks, according to court filings obtained by AFP. In response to a petition by the Foreign Press Association, Israel said that unescorted entry by journalists “should not be permitted,” even though it acknowledged “a change in the factual situation on the ground.” The state added that allowing independent journalists into Gaza could interfere with efforts to recover the remains of Ran Gvili, the last dead Israeli captive believed to be missing in Gaza. The Israeli Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the issue, though it is unclear when a decision will be handed down. Drop site 1/6/26
· Israel’s new international college programs offer American students an escape from campus activism while training them as state cheerleaders. here
UNITED STATES
· Oakland International Airport has become a key hub for transporting military cargo to Israel during the Gaza genocide. Now, over 30 groups and thousands of Oakland residents have come together in the Oakland People’s Arms Embargo to stop it. (Mondoweiss 12/14)
· Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, is shutting down its facility in Raleigh, North Carolina. Elbit had been operating a business called Logos Technologies, which produced aerial surveillance equipment for ICE, Border Patrol, the U.S. military, and various police departments. Since early 2025, the local group Triangle BDS has targeted the American Asset Corporation, a real estate company that owns the building from which Elbit was operating. Actions included protests, call-in days, community meetings, and the distribution of flyers at locations also owned by American Asset Corporation. Triangle BDS drew inspiration from activists in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who pushed Elbit out of the city in 2024. (Mondoweiss 1/6)
· YouTube CENSORSHIP After the U.S. imposed sanctions, YouTube took down over 700 videos from prominent Palestinian human rights groups. Rights advocates say this censorship goes beyond Palestine and affects the future of international justice and accountability. (Mondoweiss 12/14)
· Trump administration insiders and politically connected U.S. contractors are maneuvering to control future humanitarian aid and reconstruction logistics in Gaza—an effort the UN estimates could cost up to $70 billion—according to a new investigation by The Guardian. The report says the White House launched a Gaza task force, led by Jared Kushner, that is consulting contractors and advancing profit-driven models. The proposals include a “master contractor” system that could generate up to $1.7 billion a year, drawing warnings from aid experts that humanitarian needs are being subordinated to commercial interests. (Drop Site 15/25)
· U.S. sanctions two ICC judges for forwarding cases against Israel: The US has sanctioned two International Criminal Court judges for allowing war crimes cases involving Israel to proceed, accusing the court of acting “illegitimately” by asserting its jurisdiction without requesting Israel’s consent and warning it will impose “significant and tangible consequences” on anyone seeking to hold Israeli or U.S. officials legally accountable. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry, and leading Israeli human rights organizations have all said Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to a deliberate attempt to destroy a population in whole or in part, meeting the legal definition of genocide, a crime subject to prosecution by the International Criminal Court. Drop Site 12/19
US Schools & Universities
· Proponents claim that California’s AB 715 aims to combat antisemitism by strengthening anti-discrimination laws in public schools, but a closer look reveals it directly targets free speech on Palestine. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is suing California Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta, and Superintendent of Instruction Thurmond, challenging the constitutionality of AB 715 because it is a direct attack on the free speech and due process rights of California public school teachers and students. here
· A commission of top UN human rights watchdogs sent a series of blistering letters to the heads of five U.S. universities raising sharp concerns over the treatment of pro-Palestine students. The letters, which were sent on 10/14 to the presidents and provosts of Columbia, Cornell, Georgetown, Minnesota State, and Tufts universities, called out school officials and U.S. law enforcement agencies for cracking down on student protesters and subsequently using immigration authorities to single out foreign students for detention and deportation. here
· The dismissal of a renowned health leader who refused to ignore Palestine highlights false claims of universality in human rights, global health, and academia. Mary Bassett’s removal is an act of Harvard’s cowardice. here here
· Right-wing figures connected to the Trump administration launched an online witch hunt by falsely accusing a Palestinian student of a campus shooting at Brown University, potentially putting him at risk. (Mondoweiss 12/24)
· Five Stanford University students go on trial this week for felony charges stemming from a June 2024 pro-Palestinian protest, the most severe criminal case to emerge from last year’s nationwide campus demonstrations against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The students stand accused of felony conspiracy to trespass and felony vandalism. During the protest, they occupied the university president’s office for one hour as part of a demand to divest from Israel. Charges were filed nearly a year later by Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen. If convicted, they face more than three years in prison and over $300,000 in restitution, despite Stanford officials testifying that actual damages were under $10,000. The defendants call the prosecution politically motivated and say it is an attempt to deter future protests. Drop Site 1/7/26
· UCLA capitulated to its own hardline pro-Israel activists long before President Trump came calling. As a result, its students have repeatedly become targets of vigilante and police violence. here
INTERNATIONAL
· FIRING OF ACTIVIST PSYCH RESIDENT For Syrian-Canadian psychiatry resident, Dr. Nahla Al-Sarraj, 11/13 started off as any other day. That was, until the afternoon rolled around and she sat down for a Zoom meeting with one of her employers. The call was framed as a contract review, but ended up in Dr. Al-Sarraj’s termination due to the year-and-a-half-long digital smear campaign run against her by Israel supporters. (Mondoweiss 12/14)
· Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners in the U.K. taking part in a hunger strike have shown an alarming deterioration in their health as one of them has entered the third month of refusing food, supporters have said. Heba Muraisi, 31, who is on day 65 of her hunger strike, is said to be suffering from muscle spasms and breathing problems, while Ahmed, on day 58, has reported intermittent hearing loss. The third remaining prisoner taking part in the protest is Lewie Chiaramello, 22, who has type 1 diabetes and so has been fasting every other day for 44 days. Dr. James Smith, an emergency physician and lecturer at University College London, said the three were already “well into the critical phase,” which he described as beyond three weeks, and he warned that “thing can decline very quickly and irreversibly.” (Guardian 1/7)
· Several leading U.K. actresses, including Dame Judi Dench and Annie Lennox, have added their names to a campaign by around 100 mothers urging pressure on the British government to demand “tangible actions” from Israel in the face of a deepening maternity crisis in the Gaza Strip. Women in Gaza “are giving birth in unimaginable conditions, with many alone, at high risk,” they stated, while “four brand-new state-of-the-art Mobile Maternity Clinics are waiting across the border in Egypt, all refused entry.” This, they stressed, was incomprehensible “when the infant mortality rate has risen 75% over the past two years.” (Palestine Chronicle 1/9)
· Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Egypt face an uncertain future as they navigate obstacles to staying in the country and returning home to Gaza. The New York Times spoke to a family that remains separated despite a truce in the territory. here
SOURCES
OCHAOPT, Electronic Intifada, Drop site, Mondoweiss, The Guardian, New York Times, Palestine Chronicle, Haaretz, Intercept, Middle East Eye, Aljazeera, Portside, Jewish Currents, Zeteo