Urgent health update: Consequences of war on Gaza and the West Bank/East Jerusalem - November 15, 2025

This Urgent Health Update is posted every 2 weeks. 

 ACTION ITEM

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has introduced an historic Congressional resolution that recognizes the Israeli government’s genocide against Palestinians and calls for accountability. Already joined by 20 colleagues, we need to push our elected officials to sign and demand an end to US complicity in Israeli atrocities now. Here

Webinar

Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council webinar, November 23, 10 AM pacific, 1 PM eastern. Reprocide and the weaponization of starvation. With Dr. Alice Rothchild & Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Aguilar, register https://www.jvphealth.org/events

Journals: Research Articles 

The Lancet: Drs. Sammy Zahran and Ghassan Abu-Sittah estimate over 3 million life-years have been lost in Gaza since 10/2023. Calculations are based on the Palestinian MoH’s likely underestimate of 60,199 directly killed by Israeli military actions in Gaza between 10/7/23-7/31/25. Using sex- and age-specific mortality and population data on the State of Palestine from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs for 2022, the authors estimated a total of 3,082,363 (95% CI 2,962,715–3,206,048) life-years lost. The majority of life-years lost are among civilians and more than one million life-years lost are among children under the age of 15 years. here

BMC Women’s Health: This qualitative study explored menstrual health challenges faced by Palestinian women in Gaza during the ongoing Israeli genocide. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2/2025 with 32 women living in IDP camps in Rafah. Thematic analysis revealed 6 themes: psychological impact of menstrual challenges in Gaza; economic and physical barriers to menstrual hygiene; social stigma and loss of privacy; health consequences of inadequate menstrual hygiene; emotional and physical strain from limited medical services; and socio-cultural aspects of menstrual hygiene in Gaza. Immediate priorities to address menstrual health challenges should include “ensuring reliable access to affordable and culturally sensitive menstrual hygiene products, safe and private sanitation facilities, and clean water within displaced persons’ camps. In parallel, educational initiatives aimed at dismantling menstrual stigma and empowering women and girls are essential.” here

Middle East Fertility Society Journal: A narrative review of peer-reviewed studies, humanitarian reports, and testimonies examined the impact of war on reproductive health in Gaza, focusing on maternal care disruption, fertility service destruction, and reproductive rights violations. “Over 84% of health facilities in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. About 155,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women face barriers to care, with 68% reporting complications such as anemia, hypertension, and preterm labor. Fertility centers were targeted, destroying over 5,000 embryos and halting assisted reproductive technology services. Women described severe psychological trauma from the loss of reproductive material, compounded by malnutrition, overcrowding, and lack of privacy in shelters.” The “urgent need for legal protection and humanitarian efforts to safeguard reproductive medicine in conflict zones.” Authors recommended providing “support to women-led organizations delivering sexual and reproductive health services in Gaza to help them maintain their operational capabilities and continue their services.” here

Journals: Editorials & Commentaries 

The Lancet Psychiatry: In this correspondence, Palestinian Ministry of Health psychiatry residents describe the near impossibility of managing psychiatric emergencies after Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s only psychiatric hospital in 11/2023. Forced to treat patients in outpatient facilities, the authors emphasize: “we cannot safely treat patients with acute mania or psychosis. We have seen an increase in severe trauma-related presentations, including medication-resistant catatonia, where electroconvulsive therapy is needed but impossible to provide. Young children who witnessed the death of family members are presenting with stupor, unresponsive, and refusing to eat. We feel helpless when we cannot treat or admit these children and discharge them home to distraught parents. More patients are presenting with complex risks, including repeat suicide attempts, at a time when they have lost access to their social support network and health-care services…. We live as our patients live—our homes have been destroyed, we struggle to find food and shelter, and we try to fight the fear, chaos, trauma, loss, and fragmentation so we can serve our patients.” here

The BMJ: The authors discuss health worker complicity in the torture and inhumane treatment of Palestinians held in Israeli detention sites and the global medical community’s failure to hold them accountable. “Recent survivors of detention have reported that Israeli health workers have been physically violent towards detainees, knowingly denied medical treatment, and neglected detainees’ injuries. Israeli whistleblowers have reported that detainees at the Sde Teiman detention site in Israel were denied analgesia during painful procedures, while doctors working at the site were told not to write their names on official documents, with one doctor revealing that ‘officials feared they could be identified and charged with war crimes.’” “Torture not only destroys the lives of its victims but health worker participation and complicity in such acts corrodes the integrity of the health professions, and all those individuals and institutions that enable it. In the face of such violations, we have a moral and legal obligation, not only to speak out, but to act.” here

Journals: Special Issues & Reports

Torture: This double issue presents a “multi-layered portrayal of the mechanisms, experiences, and consequences of torture, genocide, and denial in Israel and Occupied Palestine.” Contents include research articles, autoethnographic accounts, legal analyses, book reviews, and news reports. Topics include the psychological effects of torture, carcerality and arbitrary detention, gendered power, starvation, attacks on medical personnel and facilities, children and youth, and systems of control and dehumanization. here

Discriminating Against Dissent: The Weaponization of Civil Rights Law to Repress Campus Speech on Palestine, here.

A draft UN Security Council resolution circulated by the US seeks to endorse the Trump Peace Plan (‘Comprehensive Plan’) and authorize the creation of two bodies: a civilian transitional governance administration in Gaza called the Board of Peace, and a militarized ‘International Stabilization Force’. The proposed resolution grants the Board of Peace broad authority in Gaza, including supervision of a transitional governance committee, reconstruction and economic development, and the coordination of humanitarian aid. The US is seeking to leverage its power in the UN Security Council to push for a resolution that appears to normalize the genocide and legitimize a new form of occupation, invoking the catastrophic precedents of Iraq and Kosovo, in contravention of international law. here

IMPORTANT: from Amy Hagopian: Civil society should be resisting Trump’s authoritarianism. It’s succumbing to it instead. My American Public Health Association membership was revoked after over 20 years because I protested for Palestine. As authoritarian norms spread in government, they are metastasizing into civil society institutions that should be resisting them. here and Lancet Correspondence

BMJ News Articles

The WHO announced a new catch-up health program for 44,000 children in Gaza to “help reverse the effects of two years of war.” The campaign, a partnership among the WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA, and others, will include a routine immunization program to restore vaccine coverage and will monitor nutrition and growth, offering children with complications of moderate or severe acute malnutrition treatment at stabilization centers. The campaigns priority is restoring the vaccination rate, which fell from 98% before 10/2023, to less than 70% today. More than half of Gaza’s vaccination facilities have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli bombing. here

United Nations

·       11/4, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, decried the continuing attacks by Israeli settlers on West Bank Palestinians. “The failure to prevent or punish such attacks is inconsistent with international law. Palestinians must be protected. Impunity cannot prevail. Perpetrators must be held accountable.” Read the complete statement here.

·       11/10, Fletcher noted 1 month of Gaza ceasefire, recognizing UN and partners’ work, but many obstacles remain. We’re working to overcome red tape, enable essential humanitarian partners, open more crossings and routes, and navigate continued insecurity.” Read the complete statement here.

Israel always tries to position itself as the civilised vis-a-vis the uncivilised…that’s why the "Israeli public and Netanyahu are so upset with the leaking of that footage.” 
— Yara Hawari
The Israeli government is facing what it calls a “public relations disaster” after a video surfaced showing soldiers torturing and sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner – a clear war crime under any legal system. Public outrage in Israel has focused less on the abuse itself and more on the leak. And the military’s chief prosecutor, who admitted leaking the footage, has been arrested and branded a traitor. The saga is yet another example of Israeli society’s unwillingness to confront what it has become. here

GAZA

Israel continues to violate the ceasefire signed 10/10. Daily demolitions of residential buildings continue. Military strikes to protect the “Yellow Line” demarcating the 56% of Gaza held by Israel cause casualties and limit access to agricultural lands and public goods. Palestinian access to the sea and fishing remains prohibited. Israel continues to severely limit aid entry into Gaza, since 10/10 refusing entry to over 6,490 metric tons of UN-coordinated relief materials.

·       Since the 10/10 “ceasefire,” Israel has killed at least 245 Palestinians and injured 627. 

·       In the past 2 weeks, Israel killed 22 people and injured 43.

·       Since 10/07/2023: 69,185+ killed, 170,698+ injured.  

·       Israeli soldiers in Gaza: 471 killed, 2,978 injured (no casualties in the past 2 weeks)

·       Israeli Hostages in Gaza: 0. All live hostages have been released; 3 bodies have yet to be recovered/ returned.

·       Palestinian bodies returned since 10/10: 330, of whom only 91 were identified. Most bodies are unidentified and mutilated, handcuffed, blind-folded, run over by military vehicles, or disfigured beyond recognition.  

For more information: here

Displacement and shelter

·       11/14, heavy rains flooded tents of displaced Palestinians. More than 900,000 Palestinians face the risk of flooding as the Palestinian Meteorological Department issued warnings of flash floods across Gaza with strong winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms. Israeli attacks have left 85% of road, water, and sewage networks damaged or destroyed. In an Al Jazeera interview, Hamas official Ali Baraka said Israel has deliberately blocked aid — allowing in only 5% of the 300,000 tents promised and 1/3 of the trucks agreed to under the ceasefire — leaving stockpiles stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. (Drop Site 11/14)

·       As of 11/10, about 1 million people, of a total population of 2.1 million, are residing in 862 displacement sites: 180 in Gaza and North Gaza governorates, 264 in Deir al Balah, 410 in Khan Younis and 8 in Rafah. UNRWA estimates 75,000 people reside in about 100 of their shelters. 

·       10/10-11/9, more than 709,000 movements of people were recorded, including 580,000 from southern to northern Gaza, and 113,000 from western to eastern Khan Younis. People are also returning south due to the north’s more acute shortages of adequate shelters, basic services and safe heating options, where many reside in damaged homes with limited repair prospects before colder weather sets in.

·       Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) noted: “After being forcibly displaced repeatedly, many Palestinians are still living in makeshift tents and without access to running water and electricity, surrounded by piles of rubbish and overflowing sewage.” The health impacts of these conditions cause respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal infections, and colder temperatures, heavy rains, and strong winds will only worsen the situation.

·       Israeli limitations on the entry of shelter supplies, particularly tents, is undermining the winterization plan. The Shelter Cluster reports that millions of shelter and non-food items are blocked in Jordan, Egypt, and Israel awaiting approval. As of 11/5, only 5,400 tents (190,000 are needed), 160,000 tarps and 17,000 blankets have entered through UN coordination, a miniscule proportion of shelter supplies needed by 1.45 million people facing the winter. 

·       11/5, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) highlighted shelter needs and called for swift and unimpeded access to supplies, as well the urgent need for heavy machinery to clear rubble and explosive remnants of war. According to the UNEP, satellite imagery shows more than 61 million MT of conflict debris. The Gaza Debris Management Working Group explained that debris removal necessitates the sustained entry of heavy machinery, spare parts, reliable and stable supplies of fuel, and access to land appropriate for debris storage and processing.

Food and Nutrition

·       In the first 9 days of November, 2 food parcels per family were delivered to 51,000 households (255,000 people) through 47 distribution points. 2 more UN-supported bakeries have reopened. From zero operational at the beginning of October, as of 11/7, 160,000 2-kilo bread bundles are produced daily at 19 UN-supported bakeries. 1.297 million cooked meals are prepared 194 kitchens and delivered daily by 25 partners.

·       On average, households ate 2 meals daily in October, up from 1 in July. However, 1 in 5 households still reported eating only 1 meal. 43% reduced meal portions, 79% decreased daily meals, and 42% limited adult intake to prioritize children.

·       October: 110,000 children were screened, identifying 9,200 cases of acute malnutrition, down from 11,700 in September and 14,400 in August. Global and severe acute malnutrition rates dropped from 24% to 20%.

·       Quantities of ready-to-use therapeutic food now available and in the pipeline are sufficient to sustain acute malnutrition treatment for the next 6 months. To support prevention, quantities of lipid-based nutrient supplements now available and in the pipeline are sufficient to support the Blanket Supplementary Feeding Program for 3 months.

·       The FAO estimates that agriculture, herding and fishing accounted for 10% of the pre-war economy, supporting 560,000 livelihoods. FAO and UNOSAT data indicates that only 13% of cropland was not damaged, but the Israeli military restricts access to all but 4% of undamaged land. Nearly 89% of orchard trees have been destroyed or damaged. Of 2,200 agricultural wells, less than 9% are undamaged and accessible. 

Aid

·       As of 11/10, 227,000 metric tons (MT) of aid has been approved and cleared by Israeli authorities for transfer into Gaza. 10/10-11/10, the UN 2720 Mechanism collected 48,000 MT of aid from the only 2 operational crossings. 11/12, Israeli authorities announced the reopening of Zikim crossing to aid cargo after a 2-month closure. 11/6, Israeli authorities announced a quota reduction for UN and INGO trucks entering from Egypt via Nitzana from 100 to 40 daily. Government-to-government convoys from Jordan remain suspended.

·       Since 10/10, Israel has denied entry to 6,490 MT of UN-coordinated relief materials. About half were rejected because Isael refused to authorize the organizations to bring relief items into Gaza. These include 10 requests by 3 local and international NGOs for 555 MT of shelter, health, water and sanitation supplies, rejected between 11/4-10. International NGO partners face difficulties with Israeli registration, and UNRWA remains banned by Israel. Supplies are rejected if they “fall outside the humanitarian category” (such as fresh meat or educational supplies) or are classified as “dual-use” items (vehicles and spare parts, solar panels, mobile latrines, x-ray machines, and generators).  UNICEF reported denied items include refrigerators, syringes, spare parts for water trucks and vehicles, materials for water treatment and purification, high-power generators, and child education/ recreation items.

·       10/29-11/10, of 106 missions coordinated with Israeli authorities: 56 were facilitated, 12 were cancelled, 29 were impeded and 9 were denied. 

·       Warehouse capacity is central to the 60-day response plan and supply chain continuity. A recent Logistics Cluster survey shows 25 organizations have 70 warehouses, of which 55 are operational, while 15 (representing 60% of volume) are non-operational due to damage or their location in the 56% of Gaza claimed by the Israeli military.

·       The main internet optic fiber line entering Gaza through Erez was severed on 11/3 in a militarized zone, where Israel denies access for repairs. Subsequent cuts to the backup fiber line on 11/6 & 9 highlight the fragility of the network. 

Health and Hospitals 

·       WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA, and the MoH announced the launch of an integrated catch-up campaign for immunization, nutrition, and growth monitoring to reach 44,000 children cut off from essential life-saving services. 1 in 5 children <3 are either zero-dose or have missed vaccinations. The 3-round campaign, scheduled to begin 11/9-18, will provide 3 doses of Pentavalent, Polio, Rota, and Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccines and 2 doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine. Vaccinations will take place at 149 health facilities and 10 mobile units, with ongoing work to rehab another UNICEF and WHO points. UNICEF and partners will also screen for malnutrition and refer to treatment. Prior to 10/2023, there were 54 immunization facilities and a 98% coverage rate, compared to today’s 23 facilities and coverage below 70%. The onset of harsh winter conditions makes the vaccination campaign even more urgent. Providing 2nd and 3rd doses of vaccines is scheduled for December and January. 

·       11/11, Reuters reported that Israel stopped UNICEF from bringing in refrigerators and syringes needed for the vaccination campaign, claiming the items were “dual use” and “could also be used by Hamas for military purposes.” UNICEF reports the syringes have been awaiting customs clearance since August. Israel continues to deny entry to 1 million bottles of ready-to-use infant formula and spare parts for water trucks. here

·       11/5, WHO facilitated medical evacuation for 19 patients (17 children) and 93 companions. Over 16,500 patients urgently need care unavailable in Gaza. WHO stated that the closed Rafah crossing is a vital for medical evacuations and for the entry of health supplies, and called for the reopening of Rafah and all entry points.

·       Israel plans to deport 90 Palestinian patients—infants, elders, and those in treatment—from East Jerusalem hospitals back to Gaza. Over 94% of Gaza’s hospitals are damaged or destroyed, and doctors warn that many deportees will die without care. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel called the move “unacceptable” and illegal under international law. A patient with kidney failure told CNN: “I will die there in 2 days.” (Drop Site 11/3)

·       18 hospitals are now partially functional, compared to 14 in September. On 11/10, WHO reported the Al Kheir Hospital, closed since 2/2024, after repair of water, sanitation, and power systems and resupply of equipment and medicines. WHO established a new 20-bed nutrition stabilization center at the hospital to provide inpatient care for children with acute and severe malnutrition. There are now 7 nutrition stabilization centers, with 90 inpatient beds, compared to 4 in September.

·       Two field hospitals are being established in Gaza City by International Medical Corps (IMC) and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS). Comprehensive eye care services have resumed at the Gaza Specialized Eye Hospital, including outpatient consultations, inpatient care, and surgical interventions.

·       The number of functional primary health centers (PHCs) similarly increased from 62 to 76 as of 11/8. The overall number of functional health services, including hospitals, field hospitals, medical points and PHCs, is only 36% of the number of facilities (213 of 589). 

·       UNRWA’s 12,000 staff in Gaza continue to run shelters, clinics, and essential services and has expanded service provision since the ceasefire. They now operate 4 medical points in Gaza City, 7 health centers and 102 mobile medical teams at 31 health points in Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and Gaza City, with efforts underway to restore health services in North Gaza. 

·       Per MoH, 343 out of 622 essential drug items (55%) are currently at zero-stock levels. This includes 74% of chemotherapy and blood disease drugs, 64% of primary healthcare drugs, 56% of maternal and child health drugs and 50% of kidney transplantation and hemodialysis drugs. 71% of medical consumables are at zero-stock levels, including 100% of open heart and catheterization consumables, 99% of orthopedic surgery consumables, and 91% of ophthalmic surgery consumables.

·       4 of the 3,203 aid trucks permitted into Gaza post-ceasefire have carried medical supplies, according to   Dr. Mustafa Barghouti. Hospitals remain insufficiently supplied amid the collapse of Gaza’s health care system. (Drop Site 11/3)

·       About 71,000 people in Gaza have diabetes, 20-30% of whom require 25,000 vials of insulin monthly, but only a small fraction of these supplies are regularly available. The last shipment of insulin (22,991 vials) was delivered to hospitals between 10/19-23. Shortages of oral hypoglycemic agents, for managing Type 2 diabetes, have further undermined treatment. This has led to severe complications, such as diabetic foot, poor glycemic control, kidney failure, and blindness.

·       Limited cancer treatment and diagnostic services are only accessible at 3 facilities: Al Razi Hospital, Al Helou Hospital, and Nasser Medical Complex. According to MoH, there are currently over 11,000 cancer patients in Gaza who need medical evacuation for treatment. 

·       1/3, MoH opened the Hind Al Daghma Specialized Kidney Center at Nasser Medical Complex (Khan Younis). Patients with kidney failure were severely impacted by the destruction the dialysis infrastructure: 40% of kidney failure patients since 10/2023 have died. 

·       There are no functioning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines in Gaza. Only 4 of 18 computed tomography (CT) scanners are functional. At UNRWA health centers, a single x-ray machine, in the An Nuseirat Health Centre in Deir al Balah, remains functional. As a result, diseases are not diagnosed, patients are untreated, and other functioning machines are overused, causing frequent breakdowns.

·       Rantisi Hospital is being rehabilitated with materials retrieved from other facilities. Outpatient services  are now functional and 80 inpatient beds are available. Shifa Hospital outpatient services have also resumed, and 5 operating rooms and 32 hemodialysis and 300 inpatient beds are available.

·       As a result of Israel’s campaign of genocide, Gaza’s fragile health care system is experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of Guillain-Barré syndrome, or GBS, GBS is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, leading to paralysis.  It is thought to have an infectious etiology and requires medical care. here

Water and Sanitation 

·       The Palestinian Water Authority: more than 85% of water facilities have been damaged since 10/2023. Groundwater well production is 25% of pre-war capacity due to damage and access denial. Gaza’s 7 wastewater treatment plants are out of service and, of 73 sewage pumping stations, 20 were destroyed and 27 damaged. Repair and maintenance are hampered by severe restrictions on the entry of spare parts, tools, and maintenance equipment, including generators, batteries and lubricants. Dozens of UNRWA vehicles and equipment units, including water tankers and jetting vehicles, remain uncleared for entry by Israeli authorities. here

·       44 partners are distributing mostly trucked water through 1,900 water points.

·       The Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin pipeline and pumping stations have been repaired. Sewage is now being discharged into the sea, not a great solution, but preventing further overflow and dire threats to health.

·       Since 10/10, 660 household latrines have been installed in Deir al Balah.

·       Over 260,000 tons of waste have accumulated in the streets and temporary dumps in Gaza Municipality. There is no access to the main official landfill and destruction of approximately 85% of the municipality’s vehicles and machinery, severely hindering essential services. The municipality’s spokesperson: the crisis is due to the lack of vehicles, the scarcity of fuel, and restrictions preventing municipal teams from accessing the official Juhur al-Deek landfill east of Gaza City. Some streets have become “open and random dumps,” posing a threat to citizens’ lives and raising the “possibility of an outbreak of epidemics and infectious diseases.” (Palestine Chronicle 10/5)

·       10/11, emergency rescue teams dug up bodies from the courtyard of the Sheikh Radwan clinic in Gaza City, where family members were forced to bury their dead from surrounding areas. Following the “ceasefire” and partial withdrawal of Israeli troops, Palestinians in Gaza have been digging bodies from the rubble and temporary mass graves to identify them and give them a proper burial. Civil Defense teams at the Sheikh Radwan clinic exhumed more than 80 bodies hastily interred amid Israel’s genocidal assault. (Drop Site 11/12)

·       11/14, heavy winter rains flooded streets in Gaza, mixing rubble into mud, and drenching tents—creating an even more dangerous and miserable situation for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by Israel’s genocidal war and living without adequate shelter. The surrounding streets were completely flooded—transformed into shallow rivers with mounds of rubble on the banks. People dug simple trenches in between crowded rows of tents in a futile effort to redirect the water away from their places of shelter. Civil Defense reported receiving distress calls throughout the day from displaced families in encampments and shelters across Gaza. Israel has continued to heavily restrict the entry of tents, food, and other aid in violation of the ceasefire agreement that went into effect last month. Since October 10, more than 6,490 tons of UN-coordinated relief materials have been denied entry into Gaza. Sewage infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged. The few plants still operating are struggling with fuel shortages and the increasing risk of massive sewage overflow. (Drop Site 11/14), also here

Child health

·       The war has eroded children’s sense of stability and safety; they will require sustained, long-term efforts to recover. Most common symptoms reported among children are aggressive behavior (93%), violence toward younger children (90%), sadness and withdrawal (86%), sleep disturbances (79%), and education avoidance (69%). Caregivers report being overwhelmed and unable to provide adequate emotional support. Girls and children with disabilities face heightened risks of violence, neglect, and unsafe access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, particularly in overcrowded shelters and informal displacement sites.

·       Following the ceasefire, 132,000 children, including 1,600 children with disabilities and 45,000 caregivers, received services including individual psychological counselling, structured group sessions, stress management activities, recreational psychosocial support, and referrals to multisectoral services. 350 children with conflict-related injuries or disabilities received assistive devices and rehabilitation support. Amputations among children comprise about 25% of the 6,000 amputations recorded by the MoH during the war.

·       As of 11/14, 301 Temporary Learning Spaces are operational, supporting 164,000 learners – ¼  of the school-aged population.

·       Unexploded ordnance has caused injuries reported among people returning to devastated areas. In Gaza City, “unexploded shells and missiles are scattered across Al Rimal neighborhood, visible among the rubble and along roadsides […] exposing civilians to the risk of detonation as they attempt to return to their homes or search for basic necessities,” such as firewood or a place to set up tents. Since 10/10, 3 explosive incidents in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis caused 11 injuries, 3 to children. 

·       Nasser Hospital confirmed  that the child Hamza al-Astal was killed when an unexploded Israeli bomb detonated in Khan Younis. Nearly 70,000 tons of unexploded ordnance in Gaza pose a deadly risk to civilians, according to Palestinian Civil Defense. (Drop Site 11/10)

·       6 Palestinian boys, from 13-17 years old, recently disappeared in Gaza. All 6 vanished after Israeli fire, drone strikes, or attempts to cross Israeli checkpoints, with some families later hearing the boys were in Israeli prisons. These cases follow 5 confirmed disappearances this summer near the Zikim crossing, including 16-year-old Zain Dahman, whose mother searched hospitals and morgues for weeks. (Drop Site 11/12)

·       Grassroots coordination committees have re-emerged to manage disputes, organize aid distribution, and communicate needs to aid agencies. Youth volunteers actively support vulnerable groups and maintain site conditions, reflecting strong civic engagement. Mothers and youth have also created informal learning and support circles to provide children with basic education and emotional comfort. Activities supporting social cohesion and mutual assistance remain key coping mechanisms helping families navigate daily hardships.

THE WEST BANK, INCLUDING EAST JERUSALEM

·       In the past 2 weeks, Israeli forces and settlers killed 10 West Bank Palestinians (5 children) and injured 45 (7 children): 30 by settlers and 15 by Israeli forces. So far this year, 45 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces -- 23% of all Palestinians killed in the West Bank.

·       As of November 2025, Israel Prison Service (IPS) data lists 9,204 Palestinians in Israeli custody: 1,242 sentenced prisoners, 3,389 remand detainees, 3,368 administrative detainees held without charge, and 1,205 “unlawful combatants.”

For more West Bank information, see OCHA West Bank September 2025 Snapshot.

Israeli attacks

·       10/28, Israeli forces surrounded a cave outside Kafr Qud village (Jenin) and called in an airstrike, killing 3. Their bodies were withheld.

·       10/30, Israeli forces raiding Silwad village (Ramallah) shot and killed a 15-year-old, and prevented an ambulance from reaching the boy for about 20 minutes. Israeli media claimed soldiers shot a child setting a suspected explosive device on fire. 

·       11/3, Israeli forces raiding Beit Furik (Nablus) shot at residents throwing stones and killed a 17-year-old. The boy was taken to the village medical center and then to a Nablus hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

·       11/3, a settler shot and killed a Palestinian on Road 35 near the Ras al Jora entrance to Hebron. Media claim the man tried to steal the settler’s vehicle. Israeli forces delayed a Red Crescent ambulance from reaching him. The body was returned to the family for burial on 11/4.

·       1/2, a Palestinian from Jenin held in administrative detention since 8/6/24 died in Israeli custody in unclear circumstances. Since October 2023, at least 80 Palestinians (1 child) died in Israeli detention, including 51 from Gaza, 27 from the West Bank, and 2 citizens of Israel. 

·       11/5, Israeli forces raiding Al Yamun town (Jenin) killed a boy and withheld his body. Israeli military claimed the child threw a Molotov cocktail. Israeli forces prevented ambulance access to the boy for about 30 minutes.

·       11/6, Israeli forces at the Barrier near Al Judeira village (Jerusalem) shot and killed 2 Palestinian boys and withheld their bodies. Israeli military claimed they were throwing Molotov cocktails on a main road.

·       11/6, Israeli forces’ raiding Al Mazra’a al Qibliya (Ramallah) broke into a houses to arrest a man, assaulting and injuring 2 family members and causing an elderly woman to lose consciousness. She was transferred to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

·       11/8, Palestinian residents threw stones at Israeli forces raiding Al Far’a refugee camp (Tubas), so they shot and killed a man. 

Demolitions, Displacement and Movement Restrictions

·       In the past 2 weeks, Israel demolished 36 structures due to the lack of impossible to attain Israeli-issued building permits, displacing 56 (23 children). So far this year, more than 208 structures were demolished, displacing 1,500 Palestinians.

·       10/29, Israeli authorities bulldozed a 250m water pipeline in Area C of Zif village (Hebron), affecting 150 families (1,000 people, 500 children).

·       In Qatanna village, the Israeli Civil Administration, with Israeli forces, demolished the upper floors of two 2-story buildings constructed in the 1990s and 2 animal shelters, rendering them uninhabitable and displacing 6 households (26 people, 9 children, 1 person with a disability).

·       In South Anata Bedouin community (Wa’ar al Beik), the Israeli Civil Administration, with Israeli forces, demolished a residential shelter, a kitchen and 2 latrines, displacing a family of 8 (4 children). The family had rebuilt these structures following the demolition of their shelters on 9/2/25. The community lies near the E1 settlement expansion area, intended to connect Ma’ale Adumim settlement with East Jerusalem. Concerns have been raised that the plan would further fragment the OPT and heighten the risk of forcible transfer for area communities, with severe humanitarian consequences.

·       In East Jerusalem, 2 homeowners in Beit Hanina and Silwan were forced to demolish their properties to avoid additional fines and penalties, displacing 9 people (5 children).

·       11/9, Israeli forces demolished a home on punitive grounds in Bruqin town (Salfit), displacing 6 people. The house belonged to two brothers in Israeli custody, accused of a shooting attack. This is the 2nd punitive demolition targeting the family in less than a month. Since 2009, OCHA documented the displacement of 1,000+ Palestinians due to the demolition or sealing of 214 structures on punitive grounds; 40% occurred after October 2023, 41 this year. The International Court of Justice ruled Israel's practice of punitive demolitions is contrary to international humanitarian law and is prohibited discrimination under human rights treaties.

·       Israel is planning to expropriate and evict 2 buildings and 37 acres of Palestinian agricultural land in Qalandiya, bisected by the separation barrier between the West Bank and Jerusalem, to build an incineration plant to reduce the garbage sent to Israeli landfills. Walid Hemed’s house is slated for demolition: “We had the deed for the land from my grandmother and great-grandfather. I am 59 years old. I worked all my life to build this house, and now I've been issued an eviction order within 20 days.” Peace Now stated: "The government's lust for annexation and dispossession is insatiable. It's as if there is nowhere else in greater Jerusalem to build the incinerator, except for the few remaining acres of Qalandiya’s villages after the mass expropriations and fences built around them. This will be a gross breach of international law and the rules of basic morality – evicting scores of residents who live under occupation from their homes and land in favor of an incinerator intended to serve the population of an occupied country." here

Evictions in East Jerusalem

·       11/9, Israeli police forcibly evicted 2 Palestinian families from their 3-story building in Batn al Hawa, Silwan, East Jerusalem, displacing a family of 8 people  who purchased and lived in the house for over 50 years. An Israeli settler organization’s lawsuit claimed the land had been owned by Jews more than a hundred years ago and was accepted by the court. According to the Israeli NGO Ir Amim, 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.

·       8 Palestinian families have been forcibly evicted from their homes in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan over the past 2 years. 90 families remain at risk of forced displacement due to eviction lawsuits filed by the Ateret Cohanim settler organization. Following earlier Israeli Supreme Court endorsements of 5 similar evictions, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said in 6/2025 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.”

·       11/9, Israeli authorities delivered eviction orders to another Batn al Hawa family (3 households), giving them 21 days to vacate their home after a recent Israeli Supreme Court decision dismissing their final appeal. Days earlier, a similar appeal had also been rejected, with a 60-day notice to vacate. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favor of settler organizations filing to evict 26 households in 5 buildings.

·       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 (460 children) at risk of forced displacement. 

Demolition Orders in Umm al Kheir

·       10/28, Israeli authorities delivered 13 demolition orders and one stop-work order in Umm al Kheir Bedouin community (Hebron), due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits. The structures include residential shelters, kitchens, a fodder storage unit, a greenhouse, the community center that houses the village council office, a kindergarten and a health clinic, and other structures. Together, they represent approximately one third of all structures in the community. The demolition orders place 13 families at risk of displacement and affect the community’s 35 families. Since 2009, OCHA documented the demolition of 56 structures in Umm al Kheir, 14 in the past 2 years.

·       The demolition orders come against the background of heightened settler harassment associated with the establishment of a settlement outpost near the community in mid-2025. Village residents filed a petition in October against the establishment of a new settlement outpost adjacent to their community that effectively divides the village and restricts residents’ movement. An Israeli court issued a temporary injunction on 10/12 barring settlers from inhabiting trailers or building the newly established outpost, but settlers ignored it, according to Peace Now. Residents filed an affidavit documenting multiple court order breaches.

·       Settlers, often armed and accompanied by Israeli forces, have repeatedly raided Umm al Kheir, harassed and attacked residents, causing casualties or property damage.  7/28, settlers shot and killed a Palestinian man and used a bulldozer to injure another and damaging large sections of the community’s main water line. When residents attempted to repair the line, settlers cut it again, disrupting the community’s access to water and temporarily forcing them to rely on water trucking, at 10 times the cost of network water.

Settler Attacks and Settlement Activities

·       In the past 2 weeks, 73 settler attacks last week injured 48 Palestinians (4 children), damaged 930+ olive trees and 35 vehicles, and 8 homes. 29 attacks were related to the olive harvest.

·       The 264 settler attacks in October 2025 is the highest monthly total since incidents began to be recorded in 2006. The October surge continues a steady upward trend observed throughout the year, with approximately 1,485 settler attacks this year.

·       The attacks involved night raids, arson, theft and property destruction. In Ma‘azi Jaba’ Bedouin community (Jerusalem), 20 settlers raided the area and set fire to a house and a fodder storage structure. In Khallet an Nahla community (Bethlehem), settlers injured a 60-year-old after storming his home, damaged an agricultural terrace, and threw stones at nearby houses. In Madama village (Nablus), settlers threw stones at 7 homes, broke sewage pipes, and set a car on fire. In Ibziq (Tubas), settlers raided the community’s school, damaging chairs, boards, screens, electronic equipment and water tanks, and threatened 25 1st to 6th grades and 6 teachers. In Deir Dibwan village (Ramallah), settlers broke into the village during Friday prayers, threw stones at a mosque and nearby houses, and set fire to 2 vehicles parked outside a mosque, causing damage to windows and other property while worshippers were inside.

·       Khirbet Abu Falah (Ramallah) has suffered settler-related violence following the establishment of a new settlement outpost in April 2024. 20 attacks caused casualties or property damage, the first since OCHA started documenting settler attacks in 2006. 11/7, settlers launched a night-time attack on the town and set fire to a Palestinian house while the family was inside. The mother sustained a broken leg while running from the settlers. The home was severely damaged, temporarily displacing a family of 6.

·       The Bedouin community of Ma’azi Jaba’ (Jerusalem) experienced a sharp increase in settler-related violence following the establishment of a new Israeli settlement outpost in February 2025. Since then, 22 attacks caused casualties or property damage, the first since OCHA began documenting settler violence in 2006. 11/9, settlers raided the community and set fire to a kitchen tent and threw stones at Palestinians, injuring 7.

·       11/5, settlers attacked Khalet al Fara, Yatta town (Hebron), breaking into the area, opening fire, assaulting 3, and throwing stones at nearby houses and breaking windows. The same day, in Mantiqat Shi'b al Butum, in Masafer Yatta, settlers broke into a home, vandalized belongings, and injured an elderly man and his wife.

2025 Olive Harvest Season

·       10/1-11/10, 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. 87 villages and towns were affected, 151 Palestinians injured, 83 by Israeli settlers and the rest by Israeli forces. 8 Israeli and international volunteers were also injured by settlers while accompanying Palestinian harvesters in 2 Nablus locations. Over 5,700 trees and saplings were vandalized by settlers.

·       Palestinian access to agricultural land near Israeli settlements and newly established outposts was severely restricted. Many Palestinian farmers were completely denied access to their olive groves located inside Israeli settlements, near settlements and outposts, with or without prior coordination. Access to agricultural land near settlements was repeatedly disrupted or cancelled. 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 faced long waiting times, extensive security checks, and access denial. In several areas, families found their olive trees vandalized, uprooted, or already harvested. Some farmers with approved coordination arrangements refrained from accessing their lands in fear of settler violence or because the access granted was so time restricted.

·       To safeguard farmers’ access to their lands during the olive harvest and lessen risks from settler violence and movement restrictions, Protection Cluster and Food Security Sector partners expanded protection services and provided humanitarian assistance to communities. 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. Partners deployed 500+ volunteers to support farmers in olive picking and provided agricultural equipment to farmers in areas highly affected by attacks and access constraints. These efforts facilitated collective harvesting and supported the livelihoods of 249 farmers in 31 villages and towns across the West Bank.

·       Issam Jihad Ma’ala, a 13-year-old, died 11/11 after being tear-gassed by Israeli soldiers in olive groves near the West Bank village of Beita. Ma’ala was in a coma for a month after soldiers threw gas grenades at Palestinians picking olives. They delayed an ambulance from reaching him as he was convulsing and suffocating. here also (Drop Site 11/12)

·       10/16, a group of 32 international volunteers was interrupted while helping Palestinian farmers pick olives outside the West Bank village of Burin. “The Israeli army arrived in a white van, and the farmers said we must leave,” said an activist. The activists quickly moved into a farmer’s home. The military, along with armed settlers from nearby Yitzhar, followed them inside and raided the house. At the insistence of settlers, the military called the police, who claimed that the area had been designated a closed military zone and proceeded to arrest all 32 activists. The volunteers, from across the US and Europe and ranged in age from 20s to 80s, were taken to the police station in the Ariel settlement. Over the next 5 days, they were transported to prison and then deported. (Jewish Currents)

Operations in the Northern West Bank

·       11/4, Israeli forces raided Qalqiliya, forcibly evacuating 2 residential units and converting them into military posts for about 6 hours, temporarily displacing 2 families.

·       Bulldozers were observed operating along several sections of the main road in Tulkarm refugee camp. Recent assessment by UNOSAT shows widened roads and damaged or destroyed buildings along them in Jenin, Nur Sham and Tulkarm refugee camps. 29 berms (earth mounds) and 2 roadblocks block access to Jenin camp with less around Nur Shams and Tulkarm camps.

·       UNOSAT data for Jenin found 201 structures destroyed, 117 severely damaged, and 358 moderately damaged, about 52% of all structures. In Nur Shams refugee camp, 147 structures were destroyed, 37 severely damaged, and 198 moderately damaged, about 48% of all structures. In Tulkarm refugee camp, 254 structures were destroyed, 52 severely damaged and 96 moderately damaged, 36% per cent of all structures. 

·       As of September 2025, UNRWA-verified displacement figures indicate that 31,919 Palestine refugees have been displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps and surrounding areas. 

·       10/28, Israeli forces ordered 12 families to evacuate their homes in the Jabriyat neighborhood south of Jenin Camp, giving only 2 hours notice before bulldozing roads and parts of the adjacent area. The families were subsequently allowed to return to their homes.

·       11/3, Israeli forces extended until January military orders prohibiting entry into and exit from large parts of Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps and surrounding neighborhoods. Israeli forces have repeatedly conducted operations in the affected areas and ordered dozens of families to vacate their homes, including in Al Hadayda and Rabay’a in northern Tulkarm Camp and Jabal an Naser area in Nur Shams Camp, sometimes giving families as little as 2 hours to leave. Many families have faced multiple cycles of displacement and return, heightening their vulnerability and disrupting their access to basic services.

·       During a raid in al-Yamun (Jenin), Israeli soldiers shot and killed 15-year-old Murad Abu Seifin. They prevented emergency services from reaching him, so he bled to death in the street. here

Israel

·       11/10, the Knesset voted in favor of a bill to impose the death penalty on “terrorists,” the first of 3 votes needed for the bill to become law. The racist bill was initiated by Limor Son Har-Melech from the ultra-nationalist “Jewish Power” party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to explicitly target West Bank Palestinians and impose the death penalty on individuals convicted for acts that led to the death of Israelis, if the acts were motivated by “racism or hostility towards the public” and “committed with the objective of harming the state of Israel or the rebirth of the Jewish people,” making it applicable exclusively to Palestinians. here also(Mondoweiss 11/12)

·       (11/10), the Knesset also approved the first reading of a bill expanding the so-called “Al Jazeera Law,” allowing the government to shut down foreign media outlets without court approval. The measure passed 50–41 to allow the communications minister and prime minister close any outlet deemed a “security threat,” a move legal advisers warn could be unconstitutional for removing judicial oversight. (Drop Site 11/12)

·       Israel’s defense chief ordered the Israeli military to “destroy and annihilate” all tunnels in Gaza used by Hamas, as daily air strikes and demolitions continue. Trump claimed an international stabilization force will enter Gaza “very soon.” (Drop Site 10/7)

·       Hamas Political Bureau member Mohammad Nazzal said he could not confirm Israeli reports that the army is sealing a Rafah tunnel with about 150 Hamas fighters inside but warned that, if true, it would constitute a “clear breach” of the ceasefire. (Drop Site 11/4)

·       Israeli soldiers have described a free-for-all in Gaza and a breakdown in norms and legal constraints, with civilians killed at the whim of individual officers, according to testimony in a TV documentary. “If you want to shoot without restraint, you can,” Daniel, the commander of an IOF tank unit, says in Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War. (The Guardian 11/10)

·       11/11, soldiers accused of gang raping a detainee at Sde Teiman prison received a standing ovation from the audience at the Israeli Supreme Court. “We are all force 100,” they chanted, referring to the unit responsible for the atrocities. (Drop Site 11/12)

·       Israeli attorney Ben Marmarelli says his Palestinian clients show “clear signs of rape and torture,” including men walking with difficulty, covered in bruises and blood, eyes swollen, and blindfolded. He described detainees “forced to lie on the floor with faces to the wall, 24 hours a day without light, bedding, or toilets.” He said one client “gets a broomstick up his ass every time he has a lawyer visit.” After he filed complaints, Israel’s Prison Service submitted a grievance to the Israeli Bar Association accusing him of “incitement.” (Drop Site 11/12)

·       Israeli soldiers described the routine use of Palestinian civilians, including children, as “mosquitoes,” when soldiers force them to walk ahead of troops with phones transmitting GPS data through tunnels and neighborhoods, according to an ITV investigation. Multiple soldiers said the practice became widespread within a week of its introduction, with one commander telling those who objected that they need not worry about international law, only about the “IDF spirit.” (Drop Site 11/12)

·       There’s outrage in Israel over the leaked video of Israeli soldiers gang-raping a Palestinian prisoner. However, the outrage isn’t about the rape itself but the fact that the video was leaked in the first place. Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the top lawyer supposedly in charge of making sure the Israeli army follows the law, was arrested after having revealed that she was the one who had leaked the infamous rape video to the media over a year ago. here

·       Israeli Academics Find Themselves Isolated Despite Gaza Cease-Fire. Boycotts of Israeli universities, largely imposed in Europe, have multiplied since the start of the war and reflect Israel’s international isolation over its conduct in Gaza. here

United States

·       11/7, Washington Post reported that the US military coordination center in Southern Israel will oversee the delivery of aid to Gaza rather than Israel. Israel is “part of the conversation,” but final decisions will be made by the US. People familiar with the US center’s first weeks of operations described it as "chaotic and indecisive." here

·       YouTube erased more than 700 videos from 3 prominent Palestinian human rights groups (Al Haq, Al Mezan, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights) documenting Israeli human rights violations. The tech giant deleted the accounts after the Trump administration declared them terrorist organizations. Meanwhile Google, which owns YouTube, has been given a $45m contract by the Israeli government to amplify its talking points. (The Guardian 11/8) also here

·       U.S. gathered intelligence last year of Israeli officials discussing how their soldiers had sent Palestinians into Gaza tunnels the Israelis believed were potentially lined with explosives, according to two former U.S. officials familiar with the matter. here

·       US military planning for divided Gaza with ‘green zone’ secured by international and Israeli troops. Almost all Palestinians have been displaced to ‘red zone’ where no reconstruction is planned. here

US universities

·       A sudden change in leadership at Indiana University’s Jewish studies program has erupted into a bitter internal feud, pitting a new interim director against faculty and students who say he is undermining academic freedom and reshaping the program’s direction amid national tensions over Israel and campus speech. here

·       10/ 7, despite widespread opposition from civil rights groups, teachers’ unions, and education advocates, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 715, which amends the California Education Code to police what teachers can teach and what students can learn about Israel and Palestine. Lawsuit Charges That California Law Illegally Muzzles Students and Teachers on Palestine. The new law conflates criticism of Zionism with antisemitism and punishes educators for teaching truthful information. here

·       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

·       For a fuller understanding of the extreme dangers of the ADL, see their report on the academies.  Note their assessment that APHA is taking “meaningful action”! (ie censoring the respected Professor Amy Hagopian) here

International

·       Instanbul University’s Gaza Tribunal found Israel guilty last month of “starvation and famine, domicide (deliberate destruction of civilian building infrastructures), ecocide (destruction of the environment), deliberate destruction and targeting of the healthcare system, reprocide (intentional and systematic targeting of reproductive care), scholasticide (destruction of knowledge and Palestine's intellectual future), and other injustices.” Though the tribunal holds no legal authority or enforcement powers, organizers explained its purpose is to “close the enforcement gap” and apply civil society pressure on world governments to take action against Israel. Dozens of Palestinians whose families were murdered and communities destroyed testified at the tribunal. here

·       Solidarity with Palestine in the world’s health sector continues to grow, with grassroots groups building boycott campaigns of Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva. These initiatives have focused on sharing information among patients and health workers about Teva’s complicity in apartheid and genocide. In Italy, several local boycott groups achieved key victories, pressuring municipalities to issue guidance to public pharmacies recommending alternatives to Teva products. (People’s Health Dispatch 10/7)

·       Save the Children has operated in Gaza for more than 70 years. This week, it said it had been informed by Israel's Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism that it did not meet the new criteria for reregistration and would need to pull out its international staff. Israel's new rules require personal details of staff and their families - rejected by most organizations as a security risk. The second issue - and the reason why the Ministry for Combating Antisemitism is involved - is that the new rules allow Israel to ban aid groups even for statements they make. here

·       153 Palestinians landed on a chartered Global Airways flight from Kenya without departure stamps, return tickets, or accommodation details, triggering a 12-hour detention on the aircraft before the group was allowed to disembark. President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters that his government is now examining how the trip was arranged and why the passengers arrived with incomplete documentation…Border officials said none of the passengers had applied for asylum. The Palestinians “had no idea where they were bundled off to, only when in Kenya did they realize they were coming to South Africa.”…According to Haaretz, the group departed Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing after vetting from the Israeli army. The report said they were taken by bus to Israel’s Ramon Airport, flown to Nairobi, and then boarded the charter to Johannesburg. An earlier group made the same trip two weeks ago and entered South Africa without incident. here

Sources

OCHAOPT, Dropsite News, People’s Health Dispatch, Haaretz, The Intercept, The Guardian, Jewish Currents, Mondoweiss, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Truthout, Middle East Eye, AAUP, NPR, The Listening  Post, The Cradle, Law For Palestine