Urgent health update: Consequences of war on Gaza, the West Bank/East Jerusalem, and Lebanon - May 16, 2026

‍ ‍Nakba Day

5/15, Palestinians around the world mark 78 years since the start of the Nakba, the ethnic cleansing and forced expulsion of Palestinians from their homes that paved the way for the establishment of the State of Israel and the ongoing colonial settlement project across Palestine. The Nakba is not a historical event. It is, as Palestinian legal scholar and Al-Shabaka analyst Rabea Eghbariah has argued, an ongoing structure—one defined by displacement as its foundational violence, fragmentation as its organizing logic, and the denial of Palestinian self-determination as its purpose. Indeed, what began in 1948 has never ended but only evolved: from mass expulsion to military occupation, siege to genocide, and creeping annexation to the deliberate erasure of Palestinian life across Palestine and the diaspora. Read more here & Drop site 5/15‍ ‍

‍Action alerts‍‍ ‍

·       5/15  remains unrecognized by the US government. Encourage your representatives to sign a bill that changes that: here

·       If you haven’t yet, call your senators to demand they stop sending weapons to Israel: here ‍ ‍

·       3/30, ICE arrested and detained Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian American community leader and president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. Urge your Congressional reps to call for his release: here ‍ ‍

·       Suspend the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) from the World Medical Association (WMA). The IMA has remained silent on the systematic targeting of Palestinian health workers and healthcare infrastructure, the genocide in Gaza, and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. Sign onto the People's Health Movement (PHM) call to boycott the IMA: here ‍ ‍

·       The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) removed Dr. Yipeng Ge from their annual meeting for wearing a watermelon pin, claiming it would make colleagues "unsafe" or "uncomfortable." Demand a public apology for this anti-Palestinian racism here.

·       Demand Rutgers to Honor their Commitment to Diversity and Academic Freedom and Reinstate Rami Elghandour as Convocation Speaker. here ‍ ‍

‍Documentary‍ ‍

Soaked in Blood: Powerful documentary on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and the murder of young men seeking food by the Israeli military. Here ‍ ‍

Research & Analysis‍ ‍

The MESA Academic Freedom Initiative offers downloadable datasets tracking threats to academic freedom in North America in higher education. Use them to support research, advocacy, and public understanding. here

Webinars‍‍ ‍

·       JVP’s Health Advisory Council’s webinar: Fragile Crossings: Pathways, Barriers, and Cost of Pediatric Medical Evacuations from Gaza with Pediatric Oncologist Dr. Zeena Salman, Cofounder HEAL Palestine. Sunday, 5/17, 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern. Register here ‍ ‍‍ ‍‍
·       If you missed the JVP Health Advisory Council March webinar: Health Under Siege, with Dr. Bilal Irfan, bioethicist at Harvard's Brigham & Women’s Hospital and UMichigan, watch the recording, here.‍ ‍‍ ‍

·       ‍Zochrot virtual event: Envisioning Return Amid Genocide, with Rashid Khalidi & Angela Davis, 5/17, 11 am Pacific/ 2 pm Eastern. Register here. ‍ ‍

THE BIG QUESTION‍ ‍

“Is There Anything That Can Bring Attention Back to The Horrors of Gaza?” International attention has shifted away from Gaza even though humanitarian conditions remain catastrophic, with widespread destruction, collapsing healthcare, disease, displacement, and deep psychological trauma continuing despite the so-called “ceasefire”. Political fragmentation, Israeli restrictions, stalled negotiations, and ineffective international initiatives have left Gazans with little hope for meaningful reconstruction or stability. Gaza must not be reduced to a distant humanitarian abstraction; attention must remain on the humanity and resilience of ordinary Gazans trying to preserve culture, education, and dignity amid devastation. here

‍GAZA‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍

“Cease-fires” have not ended Israeli military strikes in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. In Gaza, the attacks on tent camps, homes, agricultural lands, infrastructure and public gathering places have increased dramatically. Limits on aid allowed into Gaza exacerbate food, shelter, fuel, water, sanitation and health crises, with epidemic rates of illnesses caused by vermin. Despite illegally intercepting, disabling, and kidnapping 175 crewmembers on 22 boats of the Sumud flotilla, the flotilla has regrouped and 57 boats, with 500 participants from 45 countries, have again set sail to bring aid into Gaza.‍ ‍

·       As of 5/12,Israel has killed at least 856 Palestinians and injured 2,463 since the 10/10 “ceasefire.”

‍·       Palestinians killed in Gaza since 10/07/2023: 72,742+ killed, 172,565+ injured.‍ ‍‍ ‍

·       For more information on Gaza: here

World Press Freedom Day 2026 was marked on 5/3 by Tahseen al-Astal, deputy head of the Journalists Syndicate in Gaza, who shared these figures on Israel’s deliberate, systematic policy of targeting journalists:‍ ‍

-- 262 journalists killed in Gaza‍ ‍

-- 15 journalists killed in Lebanon‍ ‍

-- 150 media institutions destroyed in Gaza‍ ‍

-- 700 journalists’ homes demolished‍ ‍

-- 900 journalists displaced, many now living in tents (DropSite, 5/4)‍ ‍

‍Israeli attacks‍ ‍‍ ‍

·       Israel has drastically escalated its attacks on Gaza in the 5 weeks since halting its bombing campaign with the US against Iran. There were 35% more strikes in April than in March, according to conflict monitor ACLED. (Dropsite, 5/3-15)‍ ‍

·       5/1, Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha reported that Israeli forces shot his 30-year-old aunt in the chest while she sat with her three young children in a school shelter in Jabalia Camp, northern Gaza. The bullet pierced her chest and exited through her back, leaving her in critical condition. She was holding her one-year-old son when she was shot. He fell from her lap and was found bleeding from one ear. (Drop Site 5/1)‍ ‍

·       5/3, Israeli forces killed 3: a drone strike killed a man near Khan Younis as another drone killed a child with shrapnel, and soldiers shot and killed a man in Jabalia refugee camp.‍ ‍

·       5/4, an Israeli strike in Gaza City killed 1 and injured others. Another Palestinian was killed and others wounded in a drone strike near Al-Bureij refugee camp. ‍ ‍

·       5/9, an Israeli drone killed a person on a bicycle in Jabalia refugee camp, wounding others. Another person was killed in a strike on Maghazi refugee camp. Gaza’s Civil Defense said Israeli forces struck more than 32 residential buildings in Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.‍ ‍

·       5/10, Israeli drone strikes killed 5 people, including the head of the Khan Younis police criminal investigations unit and a police sergeant. 2 were killed in a separate strike on in the same area, and another in Maghazi refugee camp. Israeli military shelled eastern Al-Qarara and northeastern Al-Bureij camp, attacked the port area west of Gaza City with quadcopters, and a naval gunboat fired at the city’s shore. Several residential and civilian buildings in Gaza City were demolished in the early morning hours.‍ ‍

·       5/11,Israeli forces shot and killed 4 in separate attacks in Khan Younis and in Gaza City.‍

Aid‍ ‍

·       Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings are the only operational entries for humanitarian and commercial goods into Gaza.‍ ‍

·       Incoming humanitarian supplies increased by 4% in April, from 47,500 to 49,500 pallets (see the UN 2720 Mechanism Dashboard). However, only 86% of supplies manifested to and approved by Israeli authorities were allowed to be offloaded; the rest were returned. Offloading rates were particularly low for supplies arriving from Egypt. 5/1-11, offloading rates declined to 78%, with every other truck from Egypt unable to offload at the Israeli crossings. ‍ ‍

·       But not the private sector: 789 truckloads of mostly non-essential items were let in. ‍ ‍

Health‍ ‍

·       Partners are monitoring and raising awareness around the risk of hantavirus – heightened by overcrowding, rodents, and poor sanitation.‍ ‍

·       Dr. Salman Khan, an infectious disease specialist, traveled to Gaza on a three-week medical mission in February 2026. He found infectious diseases running rampant, all directly due to Israel's siege and genocide. here  ‍ ‍

·       More than 70,000 infections have been recorded in Gaza this year, as rats bite children as they sleep and skin diseases kill those prevented from receiving treatment abroad. Health officials say a plague outbreak is no longer a remote possibility. UNRWA has warned about the rise of infections “due to a surge in rates, lice and fleas.” UNRWA health teams continue to treat thousands of cases, but basic medicines in Gaza are in short supply, and aid at scale must be allowed into the Strip. (Mondoweiss and UNRWA)‍ ‍

·       A rodent bounty is sweeping across Gaza offering 34 cents a mouse and $1.7 per rat, amid warnings from health officials that over 70,000 people have been infected by rodent-borne illnesses in the Strip. Driven by the hope of receiving these rewards, people across Gaza rushed to document themselves killing and removing rats, and to send the footage to the person who announced the campaign: Abdel Hamid Abdel Ati, a Palestinian journalist from Gaza now living in Cairo after being displaced by the war. (Mondoweiss 5/13)‍ ‍

·       The shortage of medicines in Gaza is rooted in the blockade Israel imposed in Gaza in 2007, but the genocidal war that began in October 2023 pushed an already fragile system into operational collapse. The ceasefire-that-is-not-a-ceasefire agreement that came into effect in October 2025 has brought no meaningful relief. Only 4,999 trucks entered Gaza out of 23,400 planned under the agreement, amounting to roughly 21% of the intended volume. (Electronic Intifada 5/6)‍ ‍

·       5/7, the ICRC delivered supplies to support the expansion of its Rafah field hospital, increasing capacity from 60 to 72 beds and improving emergency, outpatient, maternity, pediatric, and post-operative services. Since May 2024, it has delivered 250,000 consults, conducted 11,300 surgeries, and supported 1,200 births.‍ ‍

·       In the past 2 weeks, WHO supported medical evacuation of 284 patients (98 children) with 376 companions.‍ ‍

·       WHO estimates that over 43,000 people (over 10,000 children) have life-changing injuries, including limb trauma, amputations, spinal cord injuries, burns, and traumatic brain injuries, leaving 50,000+ in need of long-term rehabilitation. Rehabilitation services remain critically overstretched: no rehabilitation facility is fully operational, access to specialized care is limited, and severe shortages of equipment, prosthetics, and assistive devices persist due to Israeli restrictions on imports. Waiting times are long, with many patients discharged early or unable to receive adequate treatment, increasing the risk of permanent disability. As of 5/11, more than 2,300 patients have been screened at Nasser Medical Complex, Al-Aqsa Hospital, and Al-Shifa Hospital for rehabilitation: 933 require surgical intervention, including 645 major and 288 minor limb reconstruction cases. Despite the heroic efforts of health workers, only a fraction of needs is being met, while the Israeli military generates new injuries daily.‍ ‍

·       Since the 10/10 “ceasefire,” 98 land mine and unexploded ordnance accidents have injured 246 Palestinians and killed 49.‍ ‍

·       For more information, see the Heath Cluster Dashboard.‍ ‍

Water & Sanitation‍ ‍

·       The severe shortage of lubricant oil and maintenance materials for the back-up generators that keep water and sanitation systems running in the absence of electricity is causing critical failures. In Khan Younis, sewage pumping stations have shut down, flooding residential areas, streets, and drainage channels and stormwater lagoons. This is a public health disaster. ‍ ‍

·       5/1, the emergency solid waste dump site in Gaza City caught fire from a buildup of methane gas from decomposing organic waste. Waste now covers an entire block and has reached a height of 14 meters. ‍ ‍

·       Solid waste management remains a critical operational challenge. An estimated 470,000 cubic m. of waste have accumulated in the southern region alone. Restoration of access to the sanitary landfills at Al Fukhari (Sufa) and Johr Al Deek near the Israeli perimeter fence is urgently needed to prevent further environmental and public health deterioration.‍ ‍

·       NGO reports Gaza is facing imminent infrastructure collapse, with 97% of groundwater undrinkable and daily water access fallen to 3-5 liters per person (only 1-3 liters in the north), far below emergency thresholds. Conditions fueled nearly half a million cases of acute diarrhea, many among children. All sewage systems are offline, with 130,000 cubic meters of untreated waste discharged into the sea daily, while 80% of displacement sites are infested with rats carrying dozens of diseases. 71% of desalination plants and 80% of water infrastructure have been destroyed. The crisis is a “calculated ecological disaster” that threatens to kill more people through disease and starvation than through bombardment. (Dropsite, 5/5)‍ ‍

Food & Nutrition‍ ‍

·       Partners provided general food assistance to 71,000 households (251,000 people) in the first 10 days of May. Each family received 2 parcels, 25 kilos of flour, and 2.5 kilos of high energy biscuits, covering 75% of the minimum caloric needs (the same as April). ‍ ‍

·       Partners continued to prepare and serve over 1.1 million meals daily through 111 kitchens and 2,000 locations. 28 bakeries produce 130,000 2 kilo bread bundles daily. 20% is distributed free to 300+ shelters; the rest is sold at a subsidized price (NIS 3/US$0.95) per bundle through 168 retailers.‍ ‍

·       So far in May, partners gave 2,200 herders four 50 kilo bags of animal feed.‍ ‍

·       In April, 68% (up 13%) of the population reported relying on burning waste as source of fuel, due to Israeli refusal to allow imports of cooking gas. ‍ ‍

·       The WFP Palestine Market Monitor and Food Security Analysis (April 2026) shows commercial and humanitarian inflows into Gaza have been negatively affected since the war against Iran. Prices of wheat flour and fresh vegetables have increased. The percentage of people relying on local markets to buy food has decreased and reliance on humanitarian aid has increased. Food consumption declined; vegetables, fruit, and protein sources are eaten once a week or less. ‍ ‍

·       During the second half of April 2026, partners provided:‍ ‍

-- blanket supplementary feeding (medium-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements) to 206,641 children 6-59 months and to 75,771 pregnant and breastfeeding women;‍ ‍

-- targeted supplementary feeding to 22,953 malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women;‍ ‍

-- ready-to-use therapeutic food to 10,757 children.‍ ‍

·       82,116 children <5 were screened for acute malnutrition: ‍ ‍

-- 2,923 (3.56%) were admitted for treatment, including 507 (0.62%) with severe acute malnutrition (SAM); ‍ ‍

-- 69 severely malnourished children were admitted to stabilization centers; ‍ ‍

-- 40 infants <6 months at risk of poor growth and development were admitted for care.‍ ‍

·       64,044 pregnant and breastfeeding women were screened for acute malnutrition: 2,147 were admitted for treatment.‍ ‍

·       Israel’s genocide has left at least 96% of Gaza’s farmland and critical agricultural infrastructure destroyed or inaccessible. The finding is especially concerning, considering Israel continues to severely restrict aid entering the Strip. Even if Israel’s strikes were to end and Palestinians were allowed to access the land, Mercy Corps noted that “recovery will be severely constrained by contamination, unexploded ordnance, and ongoing restrictions on essential inputs and materials.” (Zeteo 5/2)‍ ‍

·       A malnutrition crisis in Gaza created by Israel has had a devastating impact on pregnant and breastfeeding women, newborns, and infants under six months old, according to an analysis of medical data released today by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The group recorded higher levels of premature births and infant mortality, miscarriage, and malnourished children at four health facilities run or supported by MSF between late 2024 and early 2026. “The malnutrition crisis is entirely manufactured,” an MSF medical adviser said. “Before the war, malnutrition in Gaza was almost non-existent.” (Drop Site 5/7, Palestine Chronicle 5/9)‍ ‍

Shelter & Displacement‍ ‍

·       Partners in North Gaza and Khan Younis installed 64 emergency shelters made from available materials such as plastic sheets and designed as an immediate solution that can be upgraded into transitional shelters once materials are allowed entry. Real tents, because they contain aluminum poles which the Israeli’s consider “dual use” because they could be recycled into weapons, are refused entry.‍ ‍

·       Site management partners face significant challenges maintaining water pump generators that have not been serviced for extended periods for lack of oil and spare parts. There is a serious risk that water pumping operations will halt, severely affecting the availability of drinking water for people in these shelters.‍ ‍

·       For more information, see the Shelter Cluster website.‍ ‍

Protection

‍ ·       Partners reached over 30,000 people this week with mental health promotion, legal assistance, awareness raising activities, and disability-inclusive services through physical and mobile outreach. Psychological first aid, emergency assistance and referrals were provided to 214 Palestinians (2,283 since 2/2) returning from Egypt.‍ ‍

·       Partners working on gender-based violence this week processed 340 hotline calls, provided confidential case management services to 374 survivors, kept 42 safe spaces for women and girls functional, and raised GBV awareness within communities.‍ ‍

·       For more information, see the Protection Cluster dashboard.

‍Education‍ ‍

·       626 temporary learning spaces (TLS), up from 494 at the end of March, now support approximately 58% of Gaza’s pre-school and school-aged children. But 40% of children remain without access to structured learning; some rely on community initiatives; others remain out of school. Most receive at best 3 hours of daily instruction, 3 days a week. Israel continues to block entry of educational supplies.‍ ‍

·       For more information, see the Education Cluster page.‍ ‍

Women

‍ ·       Women possess an invaluable strength—a resilience built on survival, not choice—and the women of Gaza have had to be especially strong. Over 12,400 Palestinian women have been killed in Gaza in the last two-and-a-half years, alongside more than 18,500 children. Even in the face of such brutality, Gazan women carry their communities, serving as pillars of endurance amid the ruins of a society that has been all but erased. here

West Bank, including East Jerusalem‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍

·       A total of 1,637 attacks were carried out by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in April, according to Mu’ayyad Shaaban, head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission. Shaaban said Israeli forces were responsible for 1,097 of the attacks, while settlers carried out 540. (Drop Site 5/4)‍ ‍

·       Between 4/28-5/11, Israeli forces or settlers killed 3 Palestinians (1 child) and injured 140 (20 children). ‍ ‍

·       Since January, over 800 settler attacks have been documented in more than 220 communities. ‍‍ ‍

·       Since 10/2023, Israeli attacks killed 1,169 (242 children) and injured 11,885 in the West Bank.‍ ‍

Israeli attacks ‍ ‍

·       4/29, Israeli forces raided a house in Silwad (Ramallah) shot, killed, and withheld the body of a Palestinian man. They assaulted family members and fatally shot the man after he intervened; his father and brother were then arrested. The Israeli military stated 2 soldiers were injured by 2 Palestinians, causing troops to open fire.‍ ‍

·       4/29, Israeli forces raiding the headquarters of the Islamic Charitable Society of Hebron shot and killed a Palestinian child and injured a man. The child was shot while leaving a nearby supermarket. The Israeli military stated that Palestinians were throwing stones.‍ ‍

·       5/3, Israeli forces raiding Nablus responded to stone throwing with live ammunition and tear gas. Forty were treated for tear gas inhalation. Troops shot and injured 4 (2 children) and killed a Palestinian man out buying baby clothes. He died in the hospital as his wife was giving birth to their child. ‍ ‍

·       5/9, “A Palestinian Boy Was Shot Dead by Israeli Troops. His Death Has No ‘Sociological Consequences’” 15-year-old Youssef Shtayyeh, a competitive swimmer and soccer player preparing to go on a two-month trip to Spain, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia, was murdered by the Israel military in Nablus. Witnesses and human rights researchers report that Youssef was shot in the back while fleeing after throwing stones at military vehicles. A top officer in the military recently asserted that “it's permissible and even perhaps necessary to open fire at stone throwers – who in almost every case are children or teenagers – as long as they are Palestinians. If they're Jews, they mustn't be shot because of the ‘sociological consequences.’” here ‍ ‍

·       5/11, Israeli forces raiding Qalandiya camp (Jerusalem) shot and killed a Palestinian man, withheld his body, and confiscated his car. They also injured 3 with live ammunition and tear gas. They entered the UNRWA Qalandiya Training Center, photographed and measured the site.‍ ‍

·       5/11, a man, shot by a settler (4/15) near Qarawat Bani Hassan (Salfit) and then arrested, died from his wounds.‍ ‍

·       5/12, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man from Deir Qaddis (Ramallah) and injured another man attempting to cross the Barrier through Ar Ram (Jerusalem) to access workplaces in East Jerusalem and Israel. Israeli forces are injuring about 11 people/ month who are attempting to cross the Barrier to find work; this compares to 1/month in 2023, before Israel revoked Palestinian work permits. ‍ ‍

·       5/13, “Palestinian 16-year-old Killed in Israeli Settler Attack on Village, West Bank Medics Say” A 16-year-old Palestinian was killed and several others wounded by Israeli settlers during attacks in the West Bank villages of Sinjil and Jiljilya. Palestinian witnesses accused settlers of raiding villages, stealing livestock, and attacking residents while soldiers were present. The attack is part of a broader pattern of escalating settler violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank. here

‍Settler Violence ‍ ‍

·       So far this year, 13 West Bank Palestinians were killed by Israeli settlers in attacks in 2026, 11 since the US/Israeli war on Iran began 2/28. This compares with 13 killed in 2023, 3 in 2024, and 8 in 2025. ‍ ‍

·       Injuries by settlers have also sharply increased. Since the beginning of the year, 490 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli settlers, nearly equivalent to the annual totals recorded in 2023 and 2024. In March, about 170 Palestinians were injured by settlers, the highest monthly number since documentation began in 2006.‍ ‍

·       The settler attacks are concentrated on assaulting and intimidating herding communities and areas where new settlement outposts have been set up, where settlers target grazing areas, agricultural infrastructure, water resources and basic services essential for sustaining Bedouin and herding communities assaults and intimidation of residents. ‍ ‍

·       Israeli settler violence since 10/2023 has systematically rendered farmland inaccessible across the West Bank. The state-backed policy is destroying harvests, driving up the price of produce, and dismantling an entire way of life. (Mondoweiss 5/3)‍ ‍

·       Out of over 1,000 attacks against Palestinians settlers carried out across the West Bank in 2025, over 350 of them have targeted water sources and infrastructure. Palestinian communities that have farmed the land for generations are being forced out. “If this continues, we will barely be allowed to drink.” This is the latest front in a struggle for existence in which the most essential element of life has been turned into a weapon. here

·       Violent settlers are not merely clearing Palestinians from land under Israel’s control. They are attacking areas where Israel agreed to Palestinian self-governance. here

·       1/2023-4/2026, 117 communities across the West Bank have been fully or partially displaced by settler attacks and access restrictions, predominantly in Bedouin and herding communities in Area C. These include 45 communities (3,500 people) that have been fully displaced: 14 communities in 2023, 10 in 2024, 12 in 2025 and 9 so far in 2026. Overall, more than 5,900 Palestinians have been displaced, including 2,000 (900 children) in 2026 alone. In Al Jiftlik al Musaffah community (Jericho), settlers stole a water tank and chased a herder while attempting to steal his tractor, firing at the vehicle and damaging its tires. Also in Jericho, armed settlers physically assaulted a Palestinian family in the Al Awsaj area, injuring 2 while attempting to burn the family’s home and seize their livestock and vehicle. In Khirbet Samra, settlers assaulted a herder grazing livestock, shot at him, and stole and smashed residents’ mobile phones used to document the incident.‍ ‍

·       In Al Jawaneh area near Beit Furik (Nablus), settlers bulldozed agricultural structures, destroyed a well, water tanks, fencing and crops, and damaged 200 saplings, agricultural equipment and solar lighting infrastructure.‍ ‍

·       In Jalud (Nablus), settlers damaged the main electricity network, cutting supply to 3 poultry farms and 3 residential buildings for 24 hours. In Tell al Khashaba herding community, settlers vandalized water and electricity networks, affecting 12 families. Settlers interrupted and harassed repair teams, leaving families reliant on back-up generators and water tankers.‍ ‍

·       So far in 2026, 107 of 759 (14%) settler attacks causing casualties or property damage were in the Jordan Valley, more than half in Tubas governorate. This is a sharp rise in recent years: from 23 incidents in 2020, to 224 in 2025 – an almost 14-fold increase to now in 2026.‍ ‍

·       Among recent attacks was a night-time raid on Ein al Hilwa herding community (Tubas). Settlers injured a father and son with sticks and stones, damaged property (including water tanks), and stole livestock. In the H2 area of Hebron city, settlers attacked a Palestinian family with stones, injuring 3 people who were transported to hospital.‍ ‍

·       In Ein Jaryout Bedouin community (Ramallah), repeated settler attacks damaged solar panel cables, water tanks and residential structures. The daily intimidation displaced 4 Bedouin households (18 people, 9 children).‍ ‍

·       In Bariyat Ash Shuyukh (Hebron), 2 families (13 people, 5 children), previously displaced in 11/2023, were forced to relocate after continuous harassment and threats, including the risk of livestock theft. Attacks in the community last year already displaced 5 other families. The families were able to take their residential shelters and animal fencing, but were forced to leave behind water tanks and other essential belongings.‍ ‍

·       As if Bedouin and herding communities didn’t have enough problems, their herds are also facing the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious viral illness affecting cloven-hoofed animals. Available quantities of vaccines are insufficient to needs, amid procurement constraints imposed by Israel and movement restrictions and insecurity make reaching vulnerable herding communities difficult. Livestock losses would greatly threaten these already vulnerable communities.‍ ‍

·       5/14, “Settlers Filmed Attacking Chief of Israeli Activist Group Peace Now in West Bank” Israeli settlers assaulted Peace Now executive director Lior Amihai during a West Bank tour after activists refused to show identification cards, with video footage documenting the attack. Peace Now and opposition lawmakers criticized police and soldiers for failing to intervene against the settlers and instead treating the activists themselves as suspects. The attack is part of a broader pattern of escalating settler violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank. here

Demolitions and Displacement ‍ ‍

·       UN Secretary-General Farhan Haq said Israeli policies and military actions in the occupied West Bank have displaced approximately 40,000 Palestinians since the beginning of 2025, Quds News Network reported. Israeli demolitions displaced dozens more Palestinians, including children, during the first week of May. (Palestine Chronicle 5/9)‍ ‍

·       In the past 2 weeks, 67 Palestinian-owned structures were demolished. In Area C structures were demolished  including a 2-story home which displaced a family of 8 (6 children), whose belongings were buried under the rubble. 4 other destroyed homes displaced 2 families (13 people, 8 children). Since the beginning of 2026, 69% of structures demolished in Area C (258 of 372) were agricultural, livelihood, or water and sanitation structures.‍ ‍

·       In East Jerusalem, 6 structures were demolished, displacing 3 families of 16 people (8 children). These include 3 families forced to demolish their homes in Sur Bahir and Umm Tuba following the receipt of demolition orders, to avoid the payment of additional fines and fees. About half of the structures demolished in East Jerusalem so far in 2026 were demolished by their owners, 1/3 of them in Silwan.‍ ‍

·       In East Jerusalem, ‘a whole Palestinian community is about to be destroyed.’ Israel is forcing out Al-Bustan’s 1,500 residents to build a biblical theme park. To avoid paying huge fines, families are demolishing their own homes. (+972 5/3)‍ ‍

·       Israeli authorities demolished vehicle and truck maintenance facilities in Husan and Shuqba villages, in Bethlehem and Ramallah governorates respectively, including workshops, storage rooms, inspection pits and associated infrastructure that constituted the primary source of income for 4 affected families. In Al ‘Eizariya (Jerusalem), Israeli authorities demolished commercial and industrial facilities supporting the livelihoods of 25 households (135 people, 76 children). The structures included vehicle repair garages, car-wash facilities, construction material shops, supermarkets, and restaurants.‍ ‍

·       In Bardala village, northern Jordan Valley, Israeli forces demolished 7 vegetable greenhouses on 11 dunums of land and destroyed associated water networks, severely affecting the livelihoods of 3 farming households (15 people, 9 children). The demolition followed military orders issued in February 2026 targeting approximately 45 dunums of cultivated greenhouse land in the area. ‍ ‍

·       In Silwad (Ramallah) and Al Malha (Bethlehem), Israeli authorities demolished or damaged water cisterns, water tanks, animal shelters, agricultural resting rooms, fencing, latrines and stone walls, undermining water storage capacity as well as agricultural and herding activities. In Khashem ad Daraj community, Massafer Yatta (Hebron), Israeli authorities confiscated a residential tent and demolished an animal shelter and related structures, displacing a family for the 2nd time this year.‍ ‍

·       For more information on casualties, displacement and settler violence between 1/2005-3/2026, see the OCHA West Bank March 2026 Snapshot.‍ ‍

Attacks on Health Care‍ ‍

·       During the past 2 weeks, Israeli forces delayed ambulances transporting injured patients to hospitals, amid continued access constraints caused by checkpoint closures and other movement restrictions. According to WHO, ambulance teams were forced to take longer alternative routes and, in some instances, transport patients on foot through closed gates after ambulances were blocked.‍ ‍

·       1-4/2026, WHO documented 38 attacks on West Bank health care, resulting in 7 injuries and affecting 4 facilities and 33 ambulances. Most incidents involved the use of force (35) and obstruction of access (35), alongside militarized searches (10) and detentions (13). Incidents were concentrated in Nablus governorate (20), followed by Salfit (5), Ramallah (4), and Hebron (4). This concentration mirrors documented casualty trends, with Nablus also recording the highest number of Palestinian injuries during raids and other Israeli operations in the first 4 months of 2026: 99 of 380 injuries, followed by Hebron with 85 injuries.‍ ‍

·       While the overall number of documented attacks on health care in 2026 is lower than during the same period in 2025, the higher number recorded in early 2025 coincided with the January large-scale, prolonged military raids on refugee camps in the northern West Bank and continuing movement restrictions.‍ ‍

LEBANON‍ ‍‍ ‍ ‍ ‍

·       As of 5/12, Israeli attacks have killed 2,882 people and wounded 8,768 since 3/2. Over 200 children were killed and 797 wounded in these attacks. At least 380 people have been killed since the “ceasefire” was announced on 4/17. (Dropsite, 5/2-15)‍ ‍

·       4/30, Israeli drone strike on a cemetery in Zibdin, Nabatieh, Lebanon, killed six people and wounded several others. The attack struck while civilians were present at the cemetery, mourning loved ones they recently lost. (Drop Site 5/1) ‍ ‍

·       5/2, Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling across southern Lebanon killed 41 and wounded 89. Israeli forces blocked Red Cross teams from retrieving bodies and evacuating the wounded in Majdal Selm, a town in Nabatieh. The military forced evacuations of 9 villages there, killing at least 8 people. Israeli forces demolished a monastery and school run by the Sisters of the Holy Savior in Yaroun, a border village. Israeli forces destroyed a 100-year-old community center in his village of Dweir in southern Lebanon. “We can barely process the amount of terror against our people…The collective memory of a century was erased.” (OCHAOPT, Haaretz 5/3, Drop Site 5/4)‍ ‍

·       5/3, Israeli attacks killed 20 people across Lebanon.An Israeli drone strike on a mosque in Sammaaiyeh killed 3, and a separate strike on a restaurant and pharmacy killed 2. A strike on Srifa wounded 4 Islamic Health Committee rescue workers.‍ ‍

·       5/4, Israeli attacks killed 6 in southern Lebanon.‍ ‍

·       5/4, Israel is targeting rescue workers in South Lebanon, killing over 100 since March. Lebanese rescue workers now wait 15 minutes after each strike before responding, the only way, they say, to stay alive long enough to reach the wounded amid Israel's implementation of its Gaza "double-tap" policy in Lebanon.  (Mondoweiss 5/4)‍ ‍

·       5/5, Israeli strikes killed 17, including 2 Lebanese army soldiers. Reports indicate the use of internationally banned white phosphorus shells in Kounine and Beit Yahoun.‍ ‍

·       5/6, Israeli strikes killed 8, including the mayor of Zalaiya killed at home along with 3 family members. Drone strikes in Mifdoun targeted emergency responders from the Islamic Health Society, injuring 3.‍ ‍

·       5/7, Israel killed 32 and wounded 74 people across Lebanon. Israel carried out 3 separate direct attacks on first responders, killing 1 medical worker and wounding 5. A “double-tap” strike targeted a team from the Islamic Health Authority, injuring 4 paramedics and damaging their ambulance. (Drop Site 5/8)‍ ‍

·       5/7, Israeli drone strikes targeted the vicinity of Sheikh Ragheb Harb Hospital in southern Lebanon on Thursday, according to the Lebanese news network Al Mayadeen. Reports said ambulance crews rushed toward the area immediately after the initial strike before Israeli forces targeted the vicinity again, wounding several paramedics affiliated with the Al-Risala Health Ambulance Association. (Palestine Chronicle 5/7)‍ ‍

·       5/9, Israel attacks, 51 people killed in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley. A 12-year-old girl was targeted in 3 separate strikes.‍ ‍

·       5/10,Israeli drones carried out 6 strikes across southern Lebanon, targeting a paramedic team in Qalaway, agricultural workers in a field in Deir Qanoun El-Nahr, and 2 Syrian nationals on a motorcycle in Qlayleh. Separate large-scale airstrikes hit various town centers in a new and indiscriminate pattern of attack: “Israeli drones lock on an area and just start attacking anything moving or present or ‘suspicious’ without any filtering.” Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed 2 paramedics were killed.‍ ‍

·       5/11, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 and wounded 38 across southern Lebanon, including 2 municipal workers killed delivering bread.‍ ‍

·       5/11, citing Hezbollah's "cease-fire violations," the IOF issued evacuation orders to villages in central Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley in the country's east, regions which it has refrained from targeting since the apparent cease-fire that went into effect in mid-April. As a result, the Red Cross evacuated its facility in the area, according to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen network. (Haaretz 5/11)‍ ‍

·       5/12, the Israeli military said  it struck over 100 targets in Lebanon. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher posted: “Over 100 strikes on Lebanon in 24 hours. Civilians killed. Families displaced...what people need most is a genuine ceasefire.” Israeli forces struck a health center in Srifa staffed by UNIFIL authorized volunteers, killing 1 rescue official and wounding 5. They also targeted a civil defense team in Nabatieh, killing 2 paramedics and wounding a female medic attempting to rescue an injured person, who later also died. All strikes occurred despite a ceasefire agreement. ‍ ‍

·       5/13, Israeli airstrikes on a coastal highway south of Beirut killed 8 (2 children). ‍ ‍

·       5/14, As Israel continued to bombard Lebanon, UNICEF issued a statement on the impact of the attacks in Lebanon on children, with at least 59 children killed or injured in the country in the last week alone, and 23 children killed and 93 injured since a ceasefire was agreed to. UNICEF also warned that more than 770,000 children in Lebanon are at risk of developing chronic mental health issues due to “heightened distress from repeated exposure to violence, loss and displacement.” (Drop Site 5/14)‍ ‍

·       5/15, Israel carried out a double-tap strike in Nabatieh, killing 2 aid workers delivering food aid. The attack destroyed 1 and damaged 3 Nabatieh Ambulance Service vehicles.‍ ‍

·       IOF soldiers serving in Lebanon offer two explanations for the blight of looting there. Amid a deepening manpower shortage, commanders prefer to look the other way and resolve such incidents quietly, hoping reservists will agree to show up for yet another round of fighting. The destruction the IDF is inflicting on southern Lebanon is so sweeping that soldiers likely justify taking property by telling themselves it will be destroyed anyway. (Haaretz 5/2)‍ ‍

ISRAEL‍ ‍

·       Since 10/7/23, it has become commonplace in Israeli public discourse to refer to Hamas as “Nazis.” This analogy is germane to the Israeli death penalty because the only lawful execution in Israel’s history was that of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in 1962. This article contrasts contemporary Israeli death penalty discourse with the legal rhetoric that Israeli military courts employed in death penalty cases throughout the 1970s–80s. Earlier discourse constructed a hierarchy of enemies in which Palestinian “terrorists” were lesser enemies, compared to German Nazis, portrayed as absolute enemies. This hierarchy spared Palestinians from the death penalty, while signaling Holocaust exceptionalism and underscoring Jewish victimhood. Today, however, conflating terrorism with Nazism casts Hamas as an absolute enemy to legitimize the death penalty while serving as a means of genocide denial.‍ ‍

·       5/1, Israel blocked a planned visit by the International Stabilization Force (ISF) to Gaza’s Rafah area at the last minute, despite full prior coordination and preparations. The delegation—including dozens of military and political representatives from Indonesia, Morocco, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, and Albania—had already arrived and met Israeli army officials and US command. The visit was canceled after the political leadership ordered the army to deny entry. Separately, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered increased readiness for renewed operations in Gaza, claiming Hamas is using talks to buy time and rebuild, even as Israel fails to meet its ceasefire obligations for the first phase of the ceasefire. (Drop Site 5/1)‍ ‍

·       Israeli soldiers are facing a mental health crisis as they return from Gaza, and the diagnosis of "moral injury," the distress one feels when actions violate one's moral beliefs, is being used to absolve the guilt of perpetrators of the genocide. Guilt tied to genocide and colonial violence becomes an individual psychological matter. The conscience of the perpetrator becomes the urgent site of concern, while the structure of settler colonialism and the Zionist doctrine that produced this violence recede into the background. here ‍ ‍

·       5/16, Far-right security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed Al-Aqsa compound, while tens of thousands of Israelis paraded through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City on Jerusalem Day, which saw attacks on Palestinian shops and “Death to Arabs” chants. here

·       Israel’s parliament has voted to livestream special tribunals able to impose the death penalty on Gaza Palestinians for allegedly participating in “crimes against humanity”, using a legal framework last used to execute Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962.‍ ‍

·       The Knesset voted 93-0 out of 120 parliamentarians for the new tribunals in the latest part of a legislative package that mandates capital punishment for Palestinians but not Israelis. here‍ ‍

Prisons‍ ‍

·       “Israel Sharply Expands Solitary Confinement for Palestinian Inmates, Data Shows” Data from the Israeli Prison Service, obtained by Physicians for Human Rights Israel, show a major increase in the use of solitary confinement against Palestinian prisoners since October 7, 2023, including sharp rises involving minors and women. Human rights groups argue that the expanded use of isolation can amount to cruel treatment or torture because of its severe psychological and physical effects. The report highlights broader concerns about deteriorating prison conditions, including allegations of violence, shortages of food and supplies, and worsening treatment of Palestinian detainees. here

·       4/20, Ali al-Samoudi, 59, a veteran West Bank correspondent for Al Jazeera and Al-Quds newspaper, was released after more than a year in Israeli detention where he was held in administrative detention without charge or trial. He lost half his body weight—dropping from 120 kilograms (265 pounds) to 60 (132 pounds)—and described Israeli prisons as “a graveyard for the living.” He told his lawyer that Israeli authorities explicitly said they would not file journalism-related charges against him to avoid international scrutiny, while an earlier military accusation that he transferred funds to Palestinian Islamic Jihad was never presented in court. (Drop Site 5/1)‍ ‍

4/29, sn Israeli court has extended the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, again without filing any charges against him. According to Physicians for Human Rights, Dr. Abu Safiya is currently held in Negev Prison under harsh conditions and is being denied his medication and medical treatment despite a deterioration in his health. here ‍

·       The Asra Media Office, a Palestinian prisoner rights organization, reported on 5/7 that conditions for detainees in the isolation wing of Israel’s Nafha and Ramon prisons are deteriorating sharply, with prisoners suffering from widespread and untreated scabies infections, denial of clothing and bathing access, and systematic physical abuse by prison suppression units. (Drop Site 5/8)‍ ‍

UNITED STATES‍ ‍

·       The race to replace retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) in New Jersey’s 12th’s district is crowded, but one candidate recently earned the support of the newly-launched pro-Palestine Super PAC American Priorities. That’s Dr. Adam Hamawy, a combat surgeon and Iraq War veteran, who saved Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) when a grenade hit her helicopter. Over the last 30 years, Hamawy has volunteered in various war zones, which includes medical missions to Gaza in 2024 and 2025. (Mondoweiss 5/6)‍ ‍

·       Sightline Intelligence, a company in Portland. Oregon that specializes in AI targeting for drones has made significant shipments of materials to military contractors in Israel, according to cargo data reviewed by The Intercept. The firm claims its AI can separate civilians from militants is facing protest at home.‍ ‍

·       A “buffer zone” bill moving through the California legislature would make it a crime to approach a person within 100 feet of a synagogue in order to hand out a leaflet, hold a sign, or even “engage in oral protest.” Do it once and a judge could jail you for six months, per the law. Twice, and you could be jailed for a year. The bill, which has the backing of the Jewish establishment’s lobby group in California, Jewish California, was approved with no opposition by two committees last month. Civil liberties groups say it’s absurd, but 11 of the 13 members of the assembly’s Jewish caucus have signed on as co-sponsors. ‍ ‍

·       Illinois officials and activists are pushing the Illinois Human Rights Advocacy Protection Act, or HB 2723. The bill would repeal the state’s anti-BDS law and potentially serve as a model for legislatures across the country. The effort currently has 22 cosponsors in Illinois House and 12 in state’s Senate. The bill’s chief sponsor is Palestinian-American Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid. here‍ ‍

·       Cisco Systems, one of the most consequential—yet least visible—corporations in Silicon Valley makes a point of publicly highlighting its commitment to corporate social responsibility, and building “an inclusive future for all” in the dozens of countries around the world in which it operates. Yet the company’s aggressive pursuit of contracts with the Israeli government and military—a small yet growing part of its global business—has led to accusations that behind this sunny facade the networking giant is profiting from genocide through Cisco’s deep and growing collaboration with the Israeli military and intelligence establishment in its regional wars and the genocide in Gaza. here

·       5/14, New York Times defends Kristof report on Israeli sexual violence:NYT said  Netanyahu’s threat to file a libel lawsuit over Nicholas Kristof’s opinion column documenting sexual abuse of Palestinians in Israeli prison is “part of a well-worn political playbook that aims to undermine independent reporting.” Any legal claim against the Times for the article “would be without merit.” (Drop site 5/15)

Universities‍ ‍

·       Atlanta’s Emory University is facing a lawsuit from three tenured professors over its handling of 2024 protests against Israel’s assault on Gaza, capping off a tumultuous end to the spring semester. In recent months faculty and students have also demanded the removal of Flock surveillance cameras on campus, and Black law school students and others protested against the school’s response to a student’s social media posts and emails that were filled with the N-word. (Guardian 5/7)‍ ‍

·       NYT reported that documents it obtained show the case to deport Columbia U. protest leader Mahmoud Khalil was considered a high priority for the Board of Immigration Appeals before it even received the case. He could be deported before the Supreme Court hears his case, the Times reported. Khalil’s lawyer told the Times that the abnormalities showed the case “has been controlled from Day 1 by higher-ups in the administration.”

·       JVP Academic Council strongly condemns the treatment of the Temple University students who protested Temple’s consideration of establishing monetary ties to Israel at a public session of the Board of Trustees. Your actions are a broad infringement of academic freedom and a heightening of censorship and political persecution. here

·       Rutgers University has canceled a planned graduation speech by business leader Rami Elghandour after students raised concerns about his criticism of Israel on social media. here, here‍ ‍

INTERNATIONAL‍ ‍

·       Upwards of 170 participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), who were detained by Israeli forces in international waters were taken to the Greek island of Crete late on 4/30, while two activists remained in Israeli custody. 31 were injured. Israeli authorities said the two organizers, Saif Abukeshek and  Thiago Á vila, are being taken to Israel for questioning. When the Israeli military moved to take Abukeshek and Ávila, “our crew peacefully resisted and the response was sheer violence. Participants were punched, kicked, and dragged across the deck with their hands bound behind their backs. They suffered broken noses, cracked ribs and bloody beatings. Shots were even fired at them in the chaos.” (Drop Site 5/1, Palestine Chronicle 5/2)

·       A court in Israel extended the detention of two members of the flotilla that was violently intercepted by Israeli forces. here‍ ‍

·       5/7, organizers said preliminary testimonies from detained crew members and civilian participants point to what they described as “a pattern of severe physical and sexual violence and systematic degradation perpetrated against civilian participants.” (Palestine Chronicle 5/8)

·       5/11, Israel deported Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian Thiago Ávila after holding them for nearly two weeks.  (Drop site 5/11)

·       In Britain, four Palestine Action activists have been convicted of criminal damage over their involvement in a 2024 protest and raid on a factory operated by the Israeli defense firm Elbit. Two other defendants on the same trial were acquitted. The four activists were found guilty of smashing up Elbit military equipment. The British government has banned Palestine Action under its Terrorism Act. (Democracy Now 5/6)

·       5/11 foreign ministers of the European Union agreed on a new package of sanctions targeting Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. According to Euronews, the sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc had finally overcome a long-standing political deadlock. “Violence and extremism carry consequences,” Kallas said following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. (Palestine Chronicle 5/11)

SOURCES

OCHAOPT, Drop Site News, Haaretz, Zeteo, +972, Mondoweiss, Democracy Now, Electronic Intifada, Intercept, Guardian, Palestine Chronicle, New York Times

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