Urgent health update: Consequences of war on Gaza and the West Bank/East Jerusalem - October 18, 2025

Huda Skaik, returning home to Gaza City: I have mixed feelings of happiness and sadness because when the war ends, another struggle will begin—an internal war. Our wounds will reopen, and we will have time to grieve our beloved ones, to give sadness the time it needs. We may have survived physically, but we haven’t survived mentally. This genocide lives inside us. It swallowed our loved ones, our youth, our dreams. I think this genocide will stay living inside us forever in our minds. …But we are so relieved that we can stay in our homes now, without constant displacement; that we can move in our cities without fear of bombing. We hope this is the real end and that Gaza might survive. I cannot believe that I am still alive after this unbearable genocide that felt like a ghost forever haunting us. We hope this ceasefire brings with it a permanent and lasting peace. (Drop Site 10/10)

ACTION ITEMS

1. Oppose the Israeli Government’s $45 million contract with Google to run ads discrediting the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC, which determines famines), the Sumud Flotilla, and the Hind Rajab Foundation. This easy-to-use tool from No Tech for Apartheid lets you report these offensive ads and demand they be taken down. here

2. Professor Amy Hagopian, longtime APHA member and pro-Palestine activist, has been banned from this year’s APHA conference in Washington DC, falsely charged with anti-semitism, had her membership canceled, and was removed as the elected chair of the International Health Section. APHA staff have censored news of her secret trial and blocked communications to APHA members. For background and to sign a letter of support, click HERE. Invite friends in the APHA to sign as well.

Webinars

Understanding genocide through a public health lens: Perspectives from Gaza: Join the Palestine Program for Health and Human Rights panel of experts to explore the critical role of public health in understanding, documenting, and preventing genocide. 10/22, 11amEastern/8amPacific. Register here

Journals: Research Articles 

The Lancet: This longitudinal, cross-sectional, surveillance study documented the extent of, and patterns in, wasting malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months across Gaza between 1/2024 – 8/2025. Mid-upper arm circumference measurements were obtained from 219,783 children at 16 UNRWA health centers and 78 medical points. The monthly prevalence of acute wasting ranged from 5-7% between 1/2024-6/2024. After approximately 4 months of severe aid restrictions between 9/2024-1/2025, the prevalence of wasting increased from 8.8% to 14.3% with the highest prevalence observed in Rafah (32.2%). By 3/2025, after a 6-week ceasefire, the prevalence of wasting had declined to 5.5%. However, after an 11-week blockade from 3/2025-5/2025, by early August, 15.8% of screened children were acutely wasted, including 3.7% severely wasted, equating to more than 54,600 children in need of therapeutic care. here

 The Lancet: In a comment accompanying the article above, the authors note that the “temporal data strongly suggest that restrictions on food and assistance have resulted in severe malnutrition among children in the Gaza Strip, a reality that will undoubtedly impact their future health and development outcomes for generations” and emphasize that “there is an urgent need to go beyond rhetoric and establish actionable steps for global leaders to take, perhaps through the G7 and G20 and regional blocks such as the Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.” here

Population Health Metrics: Using a Bayesian model, [a statistical method to compute probability] the authors find that life expectancy in Gaza “was 42.3 (39.4-45.0) in 2023 and 40.4 (37.5-43.0) in 2024, corresponding to life expectancy losses of 34.4 (31.7-37.3) and 36.4 (33.8-39.3) years, respectively, compared to a counterfactual scenario with no conflict-related deaths.” The authors note their methodological approach offers a “versatile and robust framework for mortality estimation under conditions of data scarcity.” here

Frontiers in Psychology: In this participatory qualitative study, the author conducted in-depth interviews (April – August 2024) with 24 Palestinian youth aged 12-19 and 8 adult parents and professionals to explore how adolescents “in occupied East Jerusalem experience and respond to continuous traumatic stress amid intensified political violence during the ongoing Gaza war.” Using reflexive thematic analysis, the author identified 6 themes including perpetual threat in everyday spaces; adaptive hypervigilance; collective and intergenerational transmission of stress; emotional suppression and helplessness; normalization of abnormality; and distrust in protective systems. The “findings demonstrate how structural violence is internalized, embodied, and transmitted across generations, creating a persistent emotional climate of fear and insecurity” and call for “trauma frameworks that move beyond episodic models to address cumulative, politically rooted stressors that violate children’s rights under international law.” here

African and Asian Studies: This study uses primary reports and legal texts to conduct a comparative analysis of 2 case studies of the strategic use of hunger as a weapon of war: the Nigerian Civil War and “the ongoing conflict in Gaza.” “In both conflicts, food deprivation emerged not as a byproduct of war but as a deliberate tactic aimed at weakening adversaries and exerting control over civilian populations.” The article concludes by “underscoring the enduring relevance of hunger as a tool of political violence and advocating for stronger international accountability mechanisms to safeguard civilian populations.” here

Editorials and Opinions

International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics: The authors discuss the dire consequences of Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system for the maternal health of Palestinian women, emphasizing: “obstetric health services have been systematically dismantled and women's reproductive rights violated. There are approximately 55,000 pregnant women living in Gaza requiring urgent access to health care and 4,000 women are expected to give birth in the next month. The rate of miscarriage is estimated to have risen by over 300%. This rapid increase has been linked to severe malnutrition, stress, physical injury, and trauma.” The authors conclude that “as medical practitioners, researchers, and advocates, it is imperative we fight for a cessation in all violence and demand a renewed focus on protecting and enhancing the reproductive rights of Palestinian women.” here

Medicine, Conflict and Survival: In this editorial and introduction to the journal, the author emphasizes that “healthcare in all its forms is one of the essential components of a nation” and a “crucial part of the scaffolding of a state” and discusses Israel’s systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system including the killing, torture, and imprisonment of healthcare workers. The author concludes that Palestine “needs a health system and what remains of the one in Gaza must be protected, supported and re-built.” here

Dialogues in Health: The authors argue that physicians have a duty to oppose the violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, emphasizing “the scarcity of potable water in Gaza, which has fueled outbreaks of hepatitis A, polio, and skin infections and has created a public health crisis that is further exacerbated by the destruction of healthcare infrastructure and targeting of healthcare workers.” The authors “demand the immediate and unrestricted entry of critical medical and hygiene supplies and adequate food into Gaza” and emphasize this is “a pivotal moment for action” in the West Bank where “violence against Palestinians and mass displacement campaigns are escalating.” here

European Journal of Emergency Medicine: The European Society for Emergency Medicine voices its “horror concerning the current situation of the civilians in Gaza” and calls on “the international community to take a clear stance and urge all parties to uphold their obligations under the Geneva Convention. The security of healthcare professionals and health facilities and the immediate and unimpeded access of necessary humanitarian aid to the civilian population are clearly identified in the Laws of Armed Conflict (LOAC) as well as stipulated in the Rules of Engagement, namely rules 53-55. Any and all violations of LOAC are war crimes.” here

Psychology in Society: US-based Palestinian professor, Devin George Atallah, discusses the importance of “reclaiming Palestinian knowing in a time of scholasticide.” He describes the decimation of Gaza’s education system and shares his experiences of anti-Palestinian racism in the US academ: “I share my response to a statement written against me by 2 anonymous psychology department colleagues in my university who succeeded in advocating for the initial denial of my tenure. Central to their argument was that my scholarship on Palestinian trauma, grief, and decolonial healing was not "empirical" enough. In my response, I challenge this commonplace academic practice of defending "empiricism" while masking underlying racism that delegitimizes decolonial knowledges worldwide.” here

UN Relief Chief calls for renewed commitment to peace and aid delivery in Gaza

10/15, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher made a statement in Cairo regarding progress and setbacks in the implementation of the agreements, noting: “we have insisted that withholding aid from civilians is not a bargaining chip.  Facilitation of aid is a legal obligation.” He concluded: “The world has failed so many times before – we must not fail this time.” 

Read the entire statement here:

GAZA

The ceasefire announced on 10/8 went into effect on 10/10, and the release of 20 Israeli hostages and 1,809 Palestinian detainees happened on 10/13-14; the exchange of corpses also began. More than 390,000 people have returned to northern Gaza from the south, only to find near-total devastation. Increased but insufficient amounts of food, shelter, and other forms of aid are slowly entering Gaza. Israel maintains military control of 56% of Gaza, and has killed at least 38 Palestinians since 10/10. Since 5/27, Israeli targeting (with US mercenary support) of Palestinians seeking food has killed 2,615 and injured 19,182.

·       Starved to death: 463 (2 this week), including 157 children

·       This week: 68 Palestinians killed, 328 injured

·       Since 10/07/2023: 67,938+ killed, 170,169+ injured. 

·       Israeli soldiers in Gaza: 468 killed (2 this week), 2,967 injured (11 this week)

·       Hostages in Gaza: 0. All live hostages have been released; 16 bodies have yet to be recovered/ returned here  

·       Jewish Voice for Peace produced a good summary of the ceasefire. Here:
·       Israeli has violated the ceasefire 47 times and its airstrikes have killed 38 Palestinians since the ceasefire agreement took effect on 10/10. here, here

For more information, see: here

·       10/14, Israel told the UN it would allow only ½ of the 600 daily aid trucks the ceasefire approved because Hamas was releasing the bodies of dead captives too slowly. 

·       Israel has returned the remains of 45 Palestinians without identification. It was not immediately known if they died in Israeli prisons or were bodies removed from Gaza by Israeli troops. Many arrived with gunshot wounds, with hands and legs cuffed, wearing blindfolds, and some run over by tanks. (Democracy Now 10/15; DropSite, 10/15)

·       A spokesperson for the MoH said Israeli forces removed at least 2,450 Palestinian bodies from graves during the war on Gaza. Media reports also indicate that a further 1,500 bodies have been held at the Sde Teiman military detention camp since 10/2023, also marked only by numbers. here

·       Naseem al-Radee and Mohammed al-Asaliya were among 1,700 Palestinian prisoners released after prolonged, brutal confinement without charge. Both described systematic torture, medical neglect, starvation, and unsanitary conditions in prisons like Nafha, leaving detainees severely underweight and with lasting injuries. here

·       Immediately after the ceasefire, Palestinians began returning to northern Gaza. UN estimates that over 90% of Gaza’s buildings are damaged or destroyed, so many Gazans are finding their homes and neighborhoods completely flattened. Sajid, a 29-year-old, explained: “It would have been easier if there were a few buildings still standing. At least we would have been able to rent something – even if it was too expensive, at least you'd have that option. Now, we have no income, no home and winter is closing in. We're in a real crisis.” The UN estimates reconstruction will cost at least $53 billion and take 15 years. here

·       After the announcement of the ceasefire, the Israeli military launched an arson spree, setting fire to civilian infrastructure, including the destruction of an essential sanitation plant in Gaza City. A hallmark of the Israeli war on Gaza has been the military’s destruction upon exit of buildings they occupied as temporary bases. (Drop Site, 10/12)

·       7/8, prior to recent military operations in Gaza City, UNEP estimated that Israeli attacks have generated more than 61 million tons of debris, an average of 169 kilos per square meter. The Gaza Debris Management Working Group emphasizes that debris removal is critical to the reopening of roads, the movement of people and goods, the reduction of hazards, and the resumption of essential services and aid delivery, and poses a heightened threat to people with disabilities. Its removal is complicated by explosive ordnance contamination and asbestos, as well as the dignified management and documentation of the many thousands of bodies buried under the rubble. So far, Israel has not allowed any removal machinery into Gaza.

·       Israel’s Mounting Ceasefire Violations in Gaza. “The matter is not a ceasefire — we are talking about a managed genocide, a managed forcible displacement.”  here

Humanitarian Access and Operations

·       Post-ceasefire, UN and partners offloaded aid from Gaza’s crossings on 10/10, 12 & 15. The crossings were closed to cargo on 10/13 for hostage/ detainee release and on 10/14 for the Jewish holiday. 15 agencies are authorized by Israel to bring in trucks with food, hygiene, shelter and health supplies. UN 2720 mechanism reports a possible increase in supplies entering from the previous 80% denial rate (5/19-10/9). Currently, there are 190,000 metric tons of aid in the pipeline and approved and cleared by Israeli authorities. Aid is positioned in Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, and the West Bank, ready for dispatch. Israel has denied Government-to-Government convoys from Jordan, however, since 9/18.

·       10/7-12, of 94 movements coordinated with Israeli authorities, 50 (53%) were facilitated, 18 (19%) were impeded, 19 (20%) were denied, and 7 (7%) were withdrawn. After the ceasefire’s partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, coordination within Gaza is no longer required. Coordination continues to be required for movements through Gaza’s crossings as well as other areas under Israeli military control. 10/13-14, of 11 requests to collect cargo from the 2 operational crossings (Kerem Shalom and Kissufim): 6 were facilitated, 4 were cancelled, 1 was impeded, and 0 were denied.

·       Israel delays Rafah crossing reopening as Gaza awaits much-needed aid. Israel has set no date and claims no aid will enter via Rafah. here

·       Mara Kronenfeld, UNWRA executive director, discusses the ceasefire and the long road to healing for Palestinians. here

Health & Hospitals

·       As of 10/12, 14 of 36 hospitals, 10 of 16 field hospitals, 64 of 181 PHCs, and 109 of 359 medical points remained partially functional across Gaza. 

·       Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, Director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, said the health sector has seen no improvement since the ceasefire, either in medical services or in the availability of essential medicines. He described the overall situation as “tragic,” stressing that recently released prisoners need urgent medical care after enduring torture. Similarly, the Director-General of Gaza’s MoH said the medical system is overwhelmed, with more than 400 surgeries pending and around 170,000 wounded in need of treatment. (Palestine Chronicle, 10/16)

·       Infectious diseases are “spiraling out of control,” with only 13 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals partially functioning: “meningitis,…diarrhea, respiratory illnesses, we’re talking about a mammoth amount of work,” said Hanan Balkhy, WHO regional director. Post-ceasefire, WHO is scaling up deliveries of medical supplies to health facilities. (The Guardian, 10/17)

·       Healthcare Workers Watch said 55 health workers from Gaza were released as part of the ceasefire, but noted that at least 115 Gazan healthcare workers are still being held in Israeli detention. here This podcast by Palestinian doctor Dr. Mohammed Ashraf and Palestinian journalist Ahmed Alnaouq discusses the hostage health workers in more detail: here

·       Among the health workers still in detention is Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital (Beit Lahia). Dr. Abu Safiya was kidnapped along with several colleagues when Israeli military raided the hospital in 12/2024. Held without charges, he has been beaten, tortured, and has lost 40 kilos in Israeli prisons. Although originally on the list of approved releases, his detention was just extended another 6 months for unproven allegations of being a “Hamas terrorist.” “This decision strips away any pretense: Dr. Abu Safiya is a hostage, a bargaining chip in ongoing negotiations,” said the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights. here (DropSite, 10/16)

·       10/14, WHO, UNICEF, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), and MoH reallocated medical equipment (ICU equipment, ventilators, incubators and anti-cancer medications) from the non-functional European Gaza Hospital to Nasser Medical Complex, both in Khan Younis. 

·       Médecins du Monde-France, International Medical Corps, and the Patient's Friends Benevolent Society expanded health delivery points in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah in response to population movements. Post-ceasefire scale-up of services in the north is now underway.  

·       WHO collected 20 trucks and distributed 427 pallets of medical supplies, including hemodialysis items, medicines, assistive devices, cold chain laboratory supplies, 23,991 vials of insulin, 5,700 blood units to support transfusions, and 300 COVID-19 RDT kits. The MoH reports at the end of September: zero stocks of 55% of essential medicines, 66% of essential consumables, and 68% of laboratory reagents and supplies.   

·       UNFPA distributed Sexual and Reproductive Health supplies to support 60,610 people to hospitals in Gaza City and the south, including: 9 types of Inter-Agency Reproductive Health Kits (IARHKs), oral and injectable contraceptives, safe delivery supplies, STD medicines, IUD kits, drugs and equipment for OB surgery, and 2,500 postnatal menstrual hygiene management kits. 

·       WHO facilitated medical evacuation of 39 patients with 147 companions through Kerem Shalom crossing. Israel refuses evacuation of patients to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

·       Health Workers for Palestine has posted the Gaza Health Declaration, calling for health solidarity in the (re)construction of a health system in Gaza. here

Protection & Education

·       NGOs are gradually resuming operations in previously inaccessible areas: 9 partners are providing services and support in Gaza City and parts of North Gaza as displaced people return. 4 child-friendly spaces and 3 women and girls’ safe spaces (WGSS) have re-opened, increasing the number of these spaces across Gaza to 61 child-friendly spaces and 32 WGSS. They are prioritizing the most vulnerable groups and coordinating field movements to safeguard the safety, dignity, and rights of returnees and displaced people and reinforce peer-support mechanisms to sustain morale and operational continuity.

·       Widespread presence of explosive ordnance (EO) continues to threaten lives as people return to damaged buildings and previously inaccessible areas. Mine Action partners are scaling up operations across Gaza to protect returnees and ensure that civilian infrastructure can be repaired, and schools and health facilities can be safely re-opened.

·       Palestinian police warned people “to be extremely cautious and vigilant when returning to their homes and residential areas for the presence of suspicious objects, hazardous waste, and unexploded bombs.” (Drop Site 10/10)

·       9/28-10/9, 6 UNRWA, 3 PA, and 1 private school in Gaza City were hit by airstrikes. Israel continues to deny entry to learning, recreational, and Mental Health and PsychoSocial Support materials.  

·       Education Cluster partners are scaling up non-formal education in temporary learning spaces (TLS), as most schools have been damaged or continue to host displaced families. 57 new TLSs were established, adding to the 252 (of 751) currently operational, serving 136,000 children supported by 3,889 teachers. 

·       29,389 students took the Tawjihi exams on 10/11, 71% of expected participants. Students who complete the exams will have the option to progress into tertiary institutions.

Food & Nutrition

·       By the end of the week, 954,000 meals were prepared and delivered daily by 21 partners in 177 kitchens. For the first time in 7 months, cooking gas has begun to enter. Daily production has resumed in 9 UN-supported bakeries, producing 100,000+ 2 kilo bundles of bread.

·       September data shows a decline in malnutrition screenings. The malnutrition rate remains high: 11,195 children (12% of those screened) are acutely malnourished, 2,515 severely.

·       4 Stabilization Centers (SCs) for the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition with medical complications are operational, with the Patient’s Friends Hospital (Gaza City) pediatric ward the only facility in the north with even limited functionality. Opening new SCs is constrained by lack of beds, essential equipment, and supplies, including a shortage of F-100 therapeutic milk. 7 nutrition sites remain in Gaza City (compared to 36 in mid-September) and none in North Gaza. 29 new sites opened in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis in response to  people moving south. 

·       In the past 2 weeks, WFP brought in 262 tons of Medium-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (LNS) to restart the Blanket Supplementary Feeding Program (BSFP), paused since July due to Israeli limitation on supplies. The available LNS can support 62,000 children for a 15-day period, about 20% of what is needed.

Water & Sanitation

·       WASH partners have adjusted water delivery to meet the moving population’s needs. Water is now being distributed at 1,440 collection points, up from 1,200 before the ceasefire. 

·       Infrastructure repairs are underway at the Sheikh Radwan Basin pumping station in Gaza City, the Mekorot water line in the north, and the Al Satar well in Khan Younis. Waste management activities are also expanding. Repairing pumping stations and drainage systems are urgent priorities before the winter season. They require pumps, generators, spare parts and pipes to enter Gaza.  Entry of reverse osmosis membranes, cartridge filters, oil, generators, pipes, and other essential electro-mechanical components are critical for water systems operation. Equally critical are spare parts and consumables for maintaining water trucks and solid waste vehicles, with urgent needs for new vehicles, tires, batteries, and spare parts. 

Shelter

·       Shelter needs remain unmet in the north due to Israeli rejection of the entry of shelter materials. Insecurity and a lack of safe routes also resulted in supplies being looted. Of the 15,840 tents that entered Gaza since 8/16, only 8,240 were successfully collected, while 7,600 (nearly half) were intercepted. All 75,210 bedding items and 16,160 tarpaulins that entered during the same timeframe were safely received and their distribution is ongoing. But this is only a small fraction of what is desperately needed as winter approaches.

·       Ismail Thawabta, head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, confirmed that over 300,000 residential units were destroyed, and 200,000 units were partially destroyed. “This led to the displacement of almost 2 million people from their homes, forcing them to live in tents and in harsh conditions.” The Gaza Civil Defense reported over 300,000 people had made the trek north although “No tents or mobile homes are available to house the returnees from the south.” (Mondoweiss, 10/12)

WEST BANK, including EAST JERUSALEM

In the past week, Israeli military and/or settlers killed 2 West Bank Palestinian and injured 156 (12 children). 

·       10/16, Israeli forces shot and killed 9-year old Mohammad Bahjat Al-Hallaq while playing soccer with friends in Al-Rihiya, south of Hebron, bringing the number of West Bank Palestinians killed since 10/2023 to over 1,000 (213 children). here

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

Access to Health Care

·       So far this year, 3,200+ West Bank Palestinians have been injured, a 28% increase over last year. WHO reports (September) only 42% of West Bank health facilities are fully functional, with functionality dropping to 36-39% in Hebron, Nablus, and Ramallah governorates, where health facilities were damaged by Israeli military operations. Ambulances face obstructions, delays, and physical assaults by settlers or soldiers. In response to these challenges, WHO and partners have trained 140 residents of 7 villages in first aid, bleeding control, psychological first aid, and mass-casualty management, with plans to train people in 30 additional communities. 

·       According to WHO, 34% of 55,853 patient permit applications submitted to Israeli authorities between Jan-Sept 2025 for medical treatment in East Jerusalem and Israel were denied or delayed beyond the day of their appointment. 74% of applicants were adults, with Al Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem receiving 57% of approved patients.

Israeli Attacks

·       10/8, a combined attack by settlers and Israeli military shot and killed 1 man and injured 2 others in Deir Jarir village (Ramallah). This is the 2nd Palestinian fatality in the area from settler attacks in less than 2 months. The killing in Deir Jarir follows the construction of a new road connecting an Israeli military base to the village and the establishment of an Ofra settlement outpost nearby. This is the 12th settler attack this year resulting in casualties and property damage as these settlers have repeatedly raided agricultural and residential areas, assaulted farmers and families, caused extensive property damage, including vandalism of 8 homes, 12 vehicles, dozens of olive trees, agricultural equipment and livestock shelters, and theft of livestock. This year’s attacks have killed 2 and injured 28 (4 children). Of the injured, 13 were by Israeli forces, 10 by Israeli settlers, and 5 cases where it could have been either.  

·       10/10, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man and injured a child during a raid in Jenin city. Israeli military claims he threw an explosive device towards them. This is the 64th Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in Jenin governorate this year, where 1/3 of all West Bank Palestinian fatalities by Israeli forces occurred this year. 

·       Before buses of ceasefire-liberated prisoners arrived in Ramallah, Israeli forces had already begun threatening their families, distributing leaflets prohibiting celebrations, and arresting and detaining their fathers, brothers and sons in multiple invasions and attacks on West Bank villages, cities and refugee camps. (Samidoun Network 10/13)

Demolitions, Displacement and Movement Restrictions

Last week, Israel demolished 1 home on punitive grounds. 

·       DurIng a 10/10 overnight operation, Israeli forces blew up a 2nd floor apartment in a 3 story building in Qatanna village (Area B, Jerusalem). A family of 5 had been already displaced and the apartment sealed by Israeli forces on 9/12.

Intensification of Settler Attacks and Settlement Activities

71 settler attacks last week injured 99 Palestinians, displaced a family of 5 (1 child), damaged 1,430 olive trees, 40 vehicles, and destroyed a residential tent. 

·       10/8, armed settlers raided a house in Atara village (Ramallah), vandalizing windows and a vehicle, and attacking Palestinian vehicles. Settlers tried to open a car door and pull out a child, but the father and son managed to flee. Settlers opened fire at residents, injuring 3 (2 in critical condition, including a 74-year-old). Israeli forces then raided and closed Atara village for 6 hours, firing teargas. This is the 8th attack since a new outpost was set up nearby in August.

·       10/13, armed settlers from a new outpost nearby, accompanied by Israeli forces, attacked 6 family members harvesting grapes in Beit Fajjar (Bethlehem). They assaulted the farmers with dogs, stones and Molotov cocktails, burned their van, and assaulted a Red Crescent (PRCS) ambulance driver upon arrival. They did not allow the family to collect about 100 kilos of harvested grapes. During the recent July-October grape harvest season, at least 19 settler attacks (16 in Halhul village, Hebron) against Palestinian farmers resulted in 15 injuries. Hundreds of dunums of vineyards were left unharvested due to settler attacks, causing significant financial losses for farming families. 

2025 Olive Harvest Season

·       Of the 71 settler attacks in 27 villages last week, 36 were related to this year’s olive harvest, which began on 10/9. Incidents included attacks on harvesters, theft of crops and harvesting equipment, and vandalism of olive trees. 

·       In the northern West Bank, 16 attacks affected people in 12 villages in Salfit, Tulkarm, Nablus and Qalqiliya governorates. 10/10, in Beita village (Nablus), settlers from an outpost, accompanied by Israeli forces, attacked farmers and international activists harvesting olives in Qamas Mount. Israeli forces opened fire and used tear gas after farmers refused to leave, while settlers threw stones, shot at, and assaulted several people (including 3 journalists), injuring 60 Palestinians. Settlers burned 12 vehicles, damaged 7 others, and seized harvesting tools. 

·       In the central West Bank, 15 attacks affected people in 10 villages (all Ramallah). On 10/12, settlers from Ramat Migron outpost raided Burqa village, cutting down 170 olive saplings, 500 small citrus trees, and 145 grapevines. They punctured 9 water tanks, damaged a water pump, tore down an agricultural tent, dismantled 3 fences and 2 gates, and injured a donkey. Footage shows settlers seizing 2 vehicles and attempting to burn a tractor.10/11, for the 2nd time in a week, settlers chopped down 200 olive trees in Khirbet Abu Falah and Turmus’ayya.  

·       In the southern West Bank, 5 settler attacks affected 5 villages (Bethlehem and Hebron). 10/13, farmers near At Taybe (Hebron) were forced off their land by settlers and soldiers who assaulted them, confiscated vehicles, and ordered them not to return without “prior coordination.” In other attacks, settlers vandalized 130 olive trees and stole 1,000 kilos of harvested olives from 2 communities (Hebron and Bethlehem).

Operations in the Northern West Bank

·       Intense military operations continue in Jenin city and surroundings. Last week, Israeli forces injured 6 people (3 children) in multiple raids in Arraba, Qabatiya, Ya’bad, and Al Yamun towns. These raids involved gunfire, physical assaults, and the takeover of residential buildings, some temporarily converted into military posts while families remained inside.  

·       10/10, Israeli forces took 2 buildings near Tulkarm Camp, displacing 7 families for 13 hours. 

·       10/12, Israeli forces raided Deir Istiya town (Salfit), searched homes, and arrested 12 Palestinian men, assaulting several, including the municipal leader. 

Israel

·       Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowed “there will be Jewish settlements in Gaza” during an event in Sderot. Speaking days after the ceasefire forced Israeli forces to partially withdraw, Smotrich argued that Israel has “no security” without settlements and promised “a series of victories and big miracles.” (Dropsite, 10/15)

United States

·       Emily Wilder recounts her harrowing experience aboard the Conscience, intercepted by Israeli forces on 10/8 in international waters near the Suez Canal. Over two days, Wilder and nearly 100 medics, journalists, and activists endured intimidation, beatings, invasive searches, and hours of confinement in extreme heat, before being transported to Ketziot prison in the Negev Desert. Detainees faced strip searches, minimal rations, and restricted access to medical care, while guards monitored every movement and subjected prisoners to verbal abuse. After international and consular interventions, Wilder and others were deported ahead of President Trump’s arrival in Jerusalem, though some flotilla members remained in detention for several more days. The account highlights the ongoing imprisonment of over 9,000 Palestinians, even as nearly 2,000 were released under the new ceasefire agreement. Read the full Jewish Currents article here. here

·       Greta Thunberg describes the mistreatment she and other flotilla participants received at the hands of the Israeli military. here

·       Democratic Senators are demanding the State Department provide them information about its response to Israel’s interception of the Sumud Flotilla and abduction of about 500 people, many of whom reported physical abuse and inhumane treatment by Israeli soldiers. In a letter to Sec. of State Marco Rubio, Sen. Warren (D-MA), Duckworth (D-IL), Van Hollen (D-MD), Markey (D-MA), and Merkley (D-OR) asked why it took the Trump administration 4 days to visit and assess the American detainees, despite widespread reports of mistreatment. They noted that other governments immediately responded to the situation. (Mondoweiss 10/11)

·       “My fear is that in this agreement, we’re just going to go back to the way it was before,” she says. “It’s just going to be yet another papering over the harm that has been caused by these decades of occupation.” here

·       Life in Gaza May Go From Utter Hell to Mere Nightmare. What Happens Now? Trump’s plan for Gaza demands Palestinians atonement for 10/7, but not from Israel for the barbarity that followed. It calls for Gaza’s deradicalization but not an end to Israel’s messianism. It micromanages the future of Palestinian governance while saying nothing about the future of the occupation. here

US Universities

·       Cornell University ended disciplinary proceedings against Dr. Eric Cheyfitz, an 84-year-old professor of American Studies battling a discrimination case, in exchange for his retirement after a paid leave through June 2026. here

·       We Took Cheyfitz’s Class on Gaza. His Suspension Violates Academic Freedom. here

·       Yale University Health care workers gather at Yale in solidarity with Palestine for their 54th weekly vigil for peace. Attendees are thankful for the ceasefire but say Israel’s actions have left Palestinians without adequate access to health care. here

INTERNATIONAL

·       Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, approved by Israel and all Palestinian factions (including Hamas), will manage daily life in postwar Gaza. The group will operate under a US-chaired “Board of Peace” overseeing reconstruction funds, while Israel must withdraw to allow aid and deployment. Egypt will soon host a Gaza reconstruction conference with US and German support. (Dropsite 10/15)

·       Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators filled the streets of Udine in northeast Italy ahead of the World Cup qualifier with Israel. Italian authorities deployed troops, drones, counterterrorism units, and rooftop snipers amid public calls to cancel the match over Israel’s participation. As Israel’s anthem played, the crowd responded with boos and pro-Palestinian chants. The match took place amid growing demands to bar Israel from international sports. Italy won 3–0. (Dropsite 10/15)

·       Thousands took to the streets across Spain as part of a general strike called by labor and students to protest the genocide in Gaza. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for accountability for those responsible for Gaza’s destruction, saying “peace cannot mean forgetting.” He stressed there should be no impunity for the main actors in the genocide, citing ongoing ICC cases against Israeli leaders. (Dropsite 10/15)

Sources

OCHAOPT, Aftonbladet, Al Jazeera, British Medical Journal, Cornell Sun, the Cradle, Democracy Now!, DropSiteNews, The Guardian, Haaretz, Health Workers 4 Palestine, The Intercept, Jewish Currents, The Lancet, MiddleEast Eye, Mondoweiss, The Nation, No Tech for Apartheid, Palestine Chronicle, Palestine Deep Dive, Portside, Samidoun Network, Times of Israel