Urgent health update: Consequences of war on Gaza, the West Bank/East Jerusalem, and Lebanon - May 2, 2026

‍ ‍‍Action alerts‍ ‍‍ ‍

·       ‍Pro-Palestine and anti-genocide speech is being censored at the City University of New York (CUNY) Law School and the College of Staten Island; the presidents have unilaterally decided to prerecord student graduation speakers this year because earlier ones spoke up for Gaza. Would you all please click these two links and sign our petitions supporting academic freedom and free speech at CUNY? Please do click here: ‍and here. ‍

·       PHR Israel: has petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court of Justice demanding the immediate release of 14 Palestinian doctors from Gaza —including surgeons, pediatricians, and senior specialists — whose detention orders are currently issued under the Unlawful Combatants Law. ‍ ‍

Call to Action: ‍ ‍

• Issue public statements: Condemn the detention and mistreatment of medical ‍ ‍

personnel and reaffirm the principle of medical neutrality. ‍ ‍

• Mobilize professional networks: Raise awareness through conferences, ‍ ‍

publications, and campaigns highlighting violations against medical ‍ ‍

personnel.‍ ‍

• Advocate collectively: Join international coalitions calling for the immediate‍

release of 14 detained doctors and protection of healthcare workers in conflict‍ ‍

zones.‍ ‍general resources: here ‍For further information please contact: here

‍Webinars‍ ‍ ‍

·       JVP’s Health Advisory Council’s webinar: Fragile Crossings:Pathways, Barriers, and Cost of Pediatric Medical Evacuations from Gaza withPediatric OncologistDr. Zeena Salman, Cofounder HEAL Palestine. Sunday, 5/17,10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern. Register here ‍ ‍‍ ‍

·       If you missed our 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.‍ ‍

·       Understanding the experience of women and children living in Gaza through the lens of health and human rights. Presentation by Alice Rothchild at the Plymouth United Church in Spring, Texas. here

·       Weaponization of antisemitism to silence critics of Israeli policy. Presentation by Alice Rothchild at the Cypress Creek Christian Community Center in Spring, Texas, here

·       Central Ohio JVP Chapters & Baladna, Update on Gaza and readings from We Are Not Numbers: The Voices of Gaza’s Youth, here‍ ‍

·       Palestinian Health Alliance (PHA) symposium: Livelihood, Survival, and Memory: How the Destruction of Land Undermines Communities, via Zoom on 5/12, 3-5pm (Palestine/Lebanon)will explore the impacts of land destruction on health, livelihoods, and collective memory in Palestine and Lebanon. Registration link: here Prof. Rami Zurayk (American Univ. of Beirut) “Uprooting as Strategy, Sumud as Practice: Israeli Aggression and Agrarian Transformation in South Lebanon”; Dr. Jad Isaac (Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem) “A Call for the Decolonization of Palestine”; Dr. Mustafa Barghouti (Palestinian Medical Relief Society) “Land Grab and Ethnic Cleansing in Palestine: Unmaking Health, Livelihood, and Survival” ‍ ‍

·       ‍Zochrot virtual event Envisioning Return Amid Genocide- Rashid Khalidi/Angela Davis, May 17, 2026, 11 am PT 2 pm ET, The Zoom registration link is here:

REPORT‍ ‍

Final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment: According to the assessment, recovery and reconstruction needs in Gaza are estimated at $ 71.4 billion over the next decade, including $ 26.3 billion required in the first eighteen months to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure, and support economic recovery. Physical infrastructure damages are estimated at $ 35.2 billion, with economic and social losses amounting to $ 22.7 billion. Hardest-hit sectors include housing, health, education, commerce, and agriculture. Over 371,888 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, more than 50 % of hospitals are non-functional, nearly all schools destroyed or damaged, and the economy has contracted by 84% in Gaza. Human development in Gaza is assessed to have pushed back by 77 years.‍‍ (here, OCHAOPT & Drop Site 4/20 & here)‍ ‍

PALANTIR‍ ‍

·       Excellent webinar which clearly describes Palantir and its foray into health care: Briefing launch: The risks of Palantir in the NHS. here

·       AFSC has new Purge Palantir website, here‍ ‍

PODCAST‍ ‍

·       Longtime West Bank activist Issa Amro gives update from Hebron here  Passcode: fq0A2=Np‍ ‍

GAZA‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍

They need to find a new word: “Cease-fires” that have not ended Israeli military strikes are now in effect in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. In Gaza, the attacks on tent camps, homes, agricultural lands, infrastructure and public gathering places has increased dramatically. Palestinian sea access and fishing remain prohibited and limitations on aid allowed into Gaza exacerbates food, shelter, fuel, water, sanitation and health crises. Israel illegally intercepted, disabled, and kidnapped crews of 23 of 58 boats in the Sumud flotilla attempting to bring aid to Gaza.  ‍‍ ‍

·       ‍Since the 10/10 “ceasefire,” Israel has killed at least 824 Palestinians and injured 2,316.‍ ‍‍

·       Palestinians killed in Gaza since 10/07/2023: 72,601+ killed, 172,419+ injured.‍ ‍

·       For more information on Gaza: here

·       A report shared with Palestinian negotiators documents 1,027 live-fire attacks, 1,188 airstrikes and shelling incidents, and 103 military incursions carried out by Israel since the “ceasefire” took effect on 10/10. Israel continues to hold approximately 34 sq. km. beyond agreed upon lines, has blocked repairs to electricity, water, and sewage infrastructure, allowed only around 37.4% of agreed humanitarian aid to enter—roughly 225 trucks per day rather than the promised 600—delivered fuel at just 14.7% of required levels, and permitted only 3,922 of 12,800 planned Rafah crossing movements. (DropSite, 4/29)‍ ‍

·       4/20, WHO: rebuilding and rehabilitating Gaza’s health system will require $10 billion in investment over the next five years, as the health sector continues to operate under severe destruction, shortages, and access restrictions. More than 1,800 health facilities have been partially or completely destroyed, ranging from major hospitals to primary healthcare centers, clinics, pharmacies, and laboratories. here, here‍ ‍

‍Israeli attacks‍ ‍

·       UNICEF reported: “Between October 2023 and December 2025, more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza, the result of Israeli air bombardment and land military operations. This includes over 22,000 women and 16,000 girls, amounting to an average of at least 47 women and girls killed every day. Women and girls accounted for a proportion of deaths far higher than those observed in previous conflicts in Gaza.”‍ ‍

·       4/17, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 UNICEF water delivery contractors and wounded 2 others at the Mansoura drinking water filling station in northern Gaza. See UNICEF’s statement and the Humanitarian Country Team of the OPT statement. UNICEF suspended water collection at that location for a few days. ‍ ‍

·       4/19, Israeli strikes killed a child near Al-Maghazi refugee camp; a 62-year old man helping others collect water in Jabalia; and a man riding a motorcycle near Nuseirat camp.‍ ‍

·       4/20, Israeli drone strikes targeted a group of Palestinians east of Gaza City, and injured another 3 west of Gaza City; killed 1 and injured 1 in the Bureij refugee camp. Israeli snipers shot 3 in Khan Younis.‍ ‍

·       4/21 in Khan Younis, an Israeli airstrike on a Palestinian police checkpoint killed 3, and a drone strike killed 1. Israeli naval fire west of Beit Lahia killed a woman. In Rafah, Israeli forces opened fire on tents sheltering displaced families, killing a pregnant woman and injuring 5.‍ ‍

·       4/22-23, Israeli aircraft targeted a vehicle at the entrance to Al-Maghazi refugee camp, killing 3. 1 man was killed and 3 injured in a drone strike south of Khan Younis. A drone strike near a mosque in Beit Lahia killed 5 (3 children) and wounded others. (OCHAOPT & here)‍ ‍

·       4/24, drone strike on Gaza City killed 2 and injured others. Israeli forces shot a girl in the head during an attack on displacement shelters in Beit Lahia, and several people were injured sheltering in a school amid shelling and gunfire. Israel shelled a neighborhood east of Gaza City, while naval forces opened fire off the coast of Khan Younis.‍ ‍

·       4/25-26, Israeli gunfire killed a child in Beit Lahia and a woman south of Khan Younis. 5 killed in drone strikes in Gaza City. Warplanes killed 3 and wounded others in the densely populated Gaza City neighborhood Sheikh Radwan. In Jabalia, Israeli forces shot a man in the head; a child was shot to death in Deir al-Balah; a man was killed during a strike on Beit Lahia.‍ ‍

·       4/27, Two children, ages 9 and 10, were killed in separate Israeli strikes in Gaza. Residents report that strikes and military activity have recently intensified, especially in Khan Yunis and Gaza City. The so-called “ceasefire” has been marked by repeated casualties and renewed fear among residents. here

·       4/28, airstrike on a civilian vehicle in Gaza City killed 4 and wounded others. 9-year-old was shot and killed by Israeli forces while collecting firewood about 400m from the “Yellow Line” in Khan Younis. His younger brother was killed under similar circumstances in the same area just a month earlier. At least 226 children and 179 women have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the start of the “ceasefire.” ‍ ‍

·       4/29, Israeli airstrike killed a Palestinian paramedic, and a woman was shot in Beit Lahia. ‍ ‍

·       4/30, 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 4/30)‍ ‍

·       4/22, In central Gaza, resistance security forces announced they had thwarted an attempt by collaborating gangs to carry out a sabotage operation inside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. The plan involved using civilians as human shields to storm the hospital and abduct wounded individuals, with the intention of handing them over to Israel. The statement said the operation was directed by Israeli intelligence, which promised air cover to the groups involved. A resistance security official praised public cooperation in exposing the plan and pledged continued efforts to dismantle such networks, warning of “unprecedented action” against similar attempts. (Palestine Chronicle 4/23)‍ ‍

·       More than 8,000 Palestinians remain buried under Gaza’s rubble, while less than one percent of debris has been cleared. Families describe knowing where loved ones are trapped but being unable to retrieve them because of lack of equipment, danger near military zones, and halted recovery efforts. "There is grief, and there is also a sense of injustice. The least a martyr deserves is a funeral, a proper farewell – like we grew up with, like a procession to their final resting place. People have the right for their names to be known, to be buried, to be mourned. But even this, the occupation took from them." here

       Children in Gaza are disappearing amid chaos, displacement, hunger, destroyed neighborhoods, and proximity to Israeli-controlled areas. Some children may be lost, abducted, detained, killed, or buried under rubble, while families search through social media, police, hospitals, aid groups, and the Red Cross. The Palestinian Center for the Missing estimates that 2,700 children’s bodies remain under rubble and about 200 other children are missing. "He's always in my dreams crying, he's part of my soul, I'll search for him until my last breath." here

Aid‍ ‍

·       4/14-20, 17,400 pallets of UN and partners’ aid were offloaded at the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. This more than doubling is attributable to the reopening of the Zikim crossing. These supplies consisted of: 70% food, 24% shelter items, 3% health supplies, 2% nutrition supplies, and 1% WASH supplies. Of these, 12,900 pallets were collected for onward distribution, compared with about 9,200 pallets the previous week.‍ ‍

·       At Ashdod Port, scanning capacity was limited to 48% (40-60 containers daily v. the target of 80-100). Offloading rates via Egypt were stable at 73%; non-Ashdod Israeli manifested trucks were 91%; and 100% from the West Bank offloaded at Kerem Shalom. For more information on incoming supplies, see the online UN 2720 Mechanism Dashboard.‍ ‍

·       Commercial sector data shows that between 4/13-19, 843 truckloads entered (double the quantity from the previous week). Over 23% of commercial cargo was classified as “other” (soft drinks, biscuits, chips, noodles, spices, jellies and sweets, instant coffee, nuts, chocolate-hazelnut spread, flavored milk, caramel cream and breadcrumbs), rather than the food, shelter items, hygiene supplies, and cooking gas and fuel desperately needed.‍ ‍

Food & Nutrition‍ ‍

·       Prices have declined since the spikes at the beginning of the war on Iran, when all crossings were temporarily closed. However, they remain significantly higher than prior to 10/2023 and the 10/10 “ceasefire.”‍ ‍

·       4/1-19, household food assistance reached 154,000 families (600,000 people), covering 75% of minimum caloric needs.‍ ‍

·       As of 4/15, partners serve 1.14 million meals daily through 122 kitchens. 290 metric tons of bread (35% of the estimated need) are produced daily by 30 commercial bakeries, as well as partners’ own baking facilities and community ovens.‍ ‍

·       4/1-15, 40,819 children <5 were screened for acute malnutrition, and 4% were admitted for treatment, 0.64% for severe acute malnutrition (SAM). During the same period, 30,358 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) were screened, and 3% were admitted for acute malnutrition treatment.‍ ‍

·       As of 4/18, ½ of the 2,200 targeted herders have received three 50-kilo bags of animal feed.‍ ‍

·       Israel has used access to water as a weapon against Gazans, systematically depriving people of water in a campaign of collective punishment, according to a new report released by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Israeli authorities’ repeated weaponization of water is part of a recurrent, systematic, and cumulative pattern. “Palestinians have been injured and killed simply trying to access water. …This deprivation, combined with dire living conditions, extreme overcrowding, and a collapsed health system, create a perfect storm for the spread of diseases.” (Drop Site 4/28)‍ ‍

Health & Hospitals‍ ‍

·       As of 4/17, 273 health service points (43% of all facilities prior to 10/2023) were operational, most only partially: 19 hospitals, 13 field hospitals, 117 PHCs and 124 medical points. Health partners provided approximately 276,000 consults weekly, up from around 271,000 in March.‍ ‍

·       Humanity & Inclusion UK warned that Gaza’s amputation crisis will continue to worsen as Israel continues to restrict medical supplies. WHO estimates that between 5-6,000 people have had amputations since the 10/10/2025 ceasefire, yet only 9 prosthetists are operating in Gaza. Israeli has blocked Humanity & Inclusion UK from bringing humanitarian supplies and prosthetics into Gaza since 02/2025. (DropSite 4/24)‍ ‍

·       4/27, Gaza’s emergency medical system is on the verge of total collapse due to a severe shortage of motor oil and spare parts after Israel classified the materials as dual-use goods subject to blockade. Paramedics in central Gaza are cannibalizing broken ambulances to keep others running, reducing the operational fleet from 10 vehicles to three and tripling response times from 30 minutes to two hours. One of the main generators at Nasser Medical Complex, Gaza’s last large hospital, has already shut down, threatening power to operating rooms, intensive care units, and neonatal wards. (Drop Site 4/28)‍ ‍

·       4/30, Dr. Muneer Alboursh, Director General of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, warned Israeli forces are systematically targeting Gaza’s health sector and blocking the entry of medical supplies—including prosthetics—as the territory faces a rapidly expanding disability crisis. Before the war, Gaza had 55,000 registered disability cases. With approximately 172,000 people wounded since the war began, medical estimates suggest 25% will sustain permanent disabilities—adding roughly 43,000 new cases and bringing the total to nearly 100,000. More than 5,000 amputations have already been documented, 20% of them children and 11% women. (Drop Site 4/30)‍ ‍

·       MoH reported  that more than 1,500 patients on the medical evacuation list have died waiting for treatment abroad due to Israeli restrictions blocking their departure. 20,000 patients are still trapped and unable to access care outside the territory. (OCHAOPT & Drop Site 4/27)‍ ‍

·       For more information, see the online Heath Cluster Dashboard.

‍·       ‘Silent suffering’: Why children in Gaza are losing their ability to speak. An estimated 1.1 million children in Gaza now need mental health and psychosocial support, as a growing number lose their ability to speak due to trauma and injuries from Israeli attacks. here

Pests, rodents and public health‍ ‍

·       Vector-borne risks linked to the proximity of solid waste accumulation to displacement sites remain high. Rodents, cockroaches, flies, and other pests are proliferating, contributing to the spread of disease. 4/14-19, fumigation of 21 emergency shelters and 30 displacement sites in Rafah and Khan Younis benefitted 35,000 people (6,950 families). Israeli authorities finally approved the import of some essential pesticides, insecticides, and equipment. Other interventions are ongoing. For more information, see this report on rodents, pests and public health.‍ ‍

·       Growing Rat Infestation Plagues Tent Cities in Gaza. Palestinian families in Gaza are living in overcrowded tents and makeshift shelters, surrounded by waste and debris, with limited access to safe water and sanitation services. Among the widespread and severe environmental health hazards that result from the conditions, the United Nations reported this month, is a proliferation of rodents as well as cockroaches, flies, and other pests, contributing to disease transmission. In a rapid assessment of more than 1,600 displacement sites across Gaza this month, the UN found that, in over 80% of them, rodents and pests were frequently visible, affecting 1.45 million people. Practically all of the affected families reported skin infections, including scabies, lice and bedbugs, with more than 70,000 cases recorded so far in 2026. here

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)‍ ‍

·       Total water production remains stable, despite reduced supply through the Deir al Balah (Bani Saeed) Mekorot line from Israel and low production from the Deir al Balah Seawater Desalination Plant (short-term, low volume plant). Critical shortages of energy for water production, fuel, lubricating oil, consumables, and spare parts pose a serious risk to water services.‍ ‍

Shelter‍ ‍

·       4/14-19, partners distributed 1,592 tarpaulins, 2,907 bedding kits, 179 sealing-off kits, 9,742 mattresses, 8 kitchen sets, as well as 798 clothing kits delivered through cash and voucher assistance. They provided 570 families affected by the rains with emergency shelter and essential household items, including 315 tarpaulins and 465 clothing kits. Israel continues to limit imports of critical materials such as solar lights, timber for framing kits, and tools. For more information, see the Shelter Cluster website.‍ ‍

Mine Action‍ ‍

·       4/14-19, partners conducted 104 explosive hazard assessments in support of debris removal and 6 emergency response missions. There was 1 explosive ordnance accident which killed 1 Palestinian. So far this year, 21 accidents have killed 4 and injured 36.‍ ‍

Education‍ ‍

·       Since 4/11, no educational supplies have been allowed into Gaza. Combined with overcrowded learning spaces, limited instruction time and inability to pay teachers, and limited access to water in learning spaces, many children are unable to acquire foundational skills, including reading and comprehension. For more information, see the online Education Cluster page.‍ ‍

West Bank, including East Jerusalem‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍

Between 4/13-20, Israeli forces or settlers killed 2 Palestinians (1 child) and injured 55 (9 children). During the same period, 37 settler attacks caused injuries, property damage, or both.‍ More than 260 trees and saplings and 14 vehicles, including an ambulance, were vandalized, water pipes were damaged, and 170 Palestinian-owned livestock were stolen by settlers from 2 communities in Ramallah governorate.‍ ‍

·       So far this year, Israeli forces or settlers have killed 37 (8 children) (Drop site reports 57 killed) and injured 935. Since January, 680 settler attacks have been documented across more than 200 communities. ‍

·       1/1-4/30, Israeli attacks on the West Bank health system have killed 53 and injured 761. See the WHO infographic here:

·       West Bank casualty and displacement here information: 

·       Info-graphic showing the impacts of settler attacks in the West Bank 2023-2025: here

West Bank Movement and Access Restrictions‍ ‍

·       As of 12/2025, OCHA documented 925 movement obstacles that permanently or intermittently restrict the movement of 3.4 million Palestinians across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This is 43% more than the annual average of 647 movement obstacles in the preceding 20 years. Obstacles include: 

-- 89 checkpoints staffed 24/7;

-- 218 intermittently staffed checkpoints, of which 152 (70%) have gates that are either usually open (90) or frequently closed (62); 

-- 232 road gates (of which 159 are frequently closed); 

-- 114 linear closures (such as earthwalls, road barriers and trenches);

-- 167 earthmounds and 105 roadblocks. At least 20% of documented closures block access to agricultural land of which about 60% are earthmounds and roadblocks. 

·       At least half of all movement obstacles (459) block or hinder access between Palestinian towns and villages and main roads that run through the West Bank; of these obstacles, about 20% are assessed to have governorate-wide access impacts or affect the movement of Palestinians across multiple governorates. These obstacles funnel Palestinian traffic onto longer, secondary road networks, disrupting the movement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and their access to workplaces and services. About 26% (121) of these obstacles block access to Road 60, the main north-south artery in the West Bank.

·       Nearly 40% of all checkpoints (34 out of 89) and 11% of all movement obstacles (101 out of 925) are in the H2 area of Hebron city, home to about 7,000 Palestinians and several hundred Israeli settlers. 

·       The 712 km (442 ½ miles) Barrier (of which 64% is built and 85% runs inside the West Bank), together with its gate and permit regime, remains the single largest obstacle to Palestinian movement within the West Bank. Only three out of 13 checkpoints along the Barrier can be used by Palestinians who hold West Bank IDs and Israeli-issued permits, which are difficult to obtain, to access East Jerusalem and Israel. Most permits were revoked or suspended after 10/7/2023, including over 800 permits that had been issued for nationally recruited humanitarian workers.

·       To access agricultural land isolated between the Barrier and the Green Line, Palestinian farmers must obtain special permits or prior coordination to cross through about 62 agricultural Barrier gates, the majority of which are closed year-round. During the 2025 olive harvest season, 74% of the gates were open for a limited number of days to allow farmers’ access. In addition, 98 Palestinian communities across nine governorates are now required to apply twice a year for ‘prior coordination’ arrangements to be granted by the Israeli military to enable owners to access their farmland near Israeli settlements.

·       In 2025, WHO documented 233 attacks on health care in the West Bank, affecting 25 health facilities and 165 ambulances, with 84% (196 of 233) involving obstructed access, including checkpoint delays, searches and harassment of medical staff, and restrictions on ambulance movement. In parallel, 36% of 87,427 patient permit applications for access to East Jerusalem and Israeli health facilities in 2025 were denied or left pending, compared with 18% in 2022.

·       UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) thematic report released in 01/2026 documents a long-standing and increasingly entrenched system of discriminatory laws, policies and practices applied by Israeli authorities in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which severely restrict, among other rights, Palestinians’ freedom of movement.

·       Under international law, Israel has the obligation to facilitate free movement of Palestinians within the OPT. The sections of the Barrier running inside the West Bank and the associated gate and permit regime are unlawful under international law (International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 7/9/04).

·       7/19/24, the ICJ Advisory Opinion found Israel’s continued presence in the OPT is unlawful and must end as rapidly as possible, all new settlement activity must cease, and measures enforcing separation of settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem breach the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

For more information, see:‍ ‍

Fact Sheet: Movement and Access in the West Bank | April 2026‍ ‍

Poster-size map: West Bank Access Restrictions | December 2025‍ ‍

OCHA’s interactive map of the Occupied Palestinian Territory‍ ‍

Israeli Military and Settler Attacks‍ ‍

·       Brief, arbitrary abductions are a new tool of Israeli intimidation in Masafer Yatta. In recent months, IOF soldiers have arrested dozens of West Bank Palestinians – many blindfolded, beaten and then released without explanation. here ‍ ‍

·       4/14, a family of 8 (3 children) was forcibly displaced without their residential shelters and animal structures from their community near Ad Dhahiriya (Hebron) after being subjected to repeated harassment and threats by settlers from a nearby outpost.

·       4/14, a group of armed settlers attacked families in 2 houses in Khirbet al Marajem, near Duma (Nablus). They broke their security camera, electricity cable, and water pipes. 

·       4/16, Israeli forces raiding Beit Duqqu (Jerusalem) shot and killed a child and injured 2 others. His body was withheld by Israeli authorities. 3 Palestinians were arrested.

·       4/17, settlers from a nearby outpost attacked houses in Asira al Qibliya (Nablus). They tried to burn down a 3-story house and set fire to 2 vehicles.

·       4/17, a group of settlers broke into a house in Beitin (Ramallah), injuring an elderly man and damaging property. 

·       4/18, Israeli forces killed a man near the Negohot settlement in Hebron; according to the military, he was inside the settlement with a knife. His body was withheld by Israeli authorities.

·       4/18, settlers from nearby outposts set fire to 1 house and damaged another, and a vehicle in Turmusa'yya (Ramallah). 

·       4/19, settlers from Evyatar settlement outpost tried to burn an ambulance near Beita (Nablus). Paramedical staff with video footage show a group of masked settlers approaching the ambulance, throwing flammable material and stones, damaging the windshield, one side mirror, and the front exterior of the vehicle. The next day, masked and armed settlers from Evyatar outpost attacked 4 houses and vandalized vehicles. They vandalized an electricity pole, disrupting power to 10 families, and damaged 2 water connections before withdrawing.

·       4/21, in Al Mughayyir (Ramallah), an Israeli settler opened fire on a school, killing 1 child and injuring 2. Israeli forces arrived and fired live ammunition, tear gas, and sound grenades. Settlers then shot and killed another Palestinian man nearby. (OCHAOPT & NYT 4/22)

·       4/21, a Palestinian boy struck by an Israeli security unit vehicle at Beit ‘Einun junction, Road 60 (Hebron) and killed. Israeli police opened an investigation.

·       4/22, Israeli settlers shot and killed 29-year-old Palestinian, Odeh Ataf Odeh Awawdeh during an attack in Deir Dibwan (Ramallah). (OCHAOPT & here)

·       During the same week, at least 55 Palestinians (9 children) were injured (31 by settlers and 24 by Israeli military). More than half were during a single incident in Halhul (Hebron) when dozens of settlers attacked farmers working their land. Settlers physically assaulted Palestinians, used pepper spray, and stole agricultural tools. Israeli forces arrived at the scene, declared the area a closed military zone, and detained about 120 Palestinians, later releasing most of them.

·       4/27, 17-year-old Obada Montaser Asaad Al-Qadi died after suffering a heart attack while being pursued and detained by Israeli occupation forces. He was from the town of Surif, north of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. (Drop Site 4/27)

·       4/29, A nun affiliated with the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research was assaulted in Jerusalem according to the institute’s director, who condemned the “unprovoked” and “sectarian” attack. The incident comes amid continued Israeli army and settler attacks in Jerusalem, with multiple Israeli raids across neighborhoods. Officials also said demolition orders were issued for homes in Ras al-Amud. (Drop Site 4/29)

Access to Water‍ ‍

·       Access to water and sanitation in the West Bank remains constrained due to ongoing settler violence, movement restrictions, demolitions, and damage to infrastructure, particularly in the northern West Bank, Masafer Yatta (Hebron), and herding communities in Area C. These conditions disrupt access to water sources, damage networks and storage structures, and limit service delivery, increasing reliance on short-term interventions such as water trucking.

·       So far in 2026, Israeli settlers have vandalized over 60 WASH structures and infrastructure in 32 communities: pipelines, irrigation systems and water tanks.

·       The impact on herding and farming communities is especially acute. 4/12, settlers bulldozed 300 m of a main water line near Khirbet ‘Atuf (Tubas), cutting off water to more than 20 families and affecting the livelihoods of 120 farmers. Also in the northern Jordan Valley, settlers continue to destroy water pipelines connected to Ein el Himma Spring in Khirbet Tell el Himma community and restrict access of herders and farmers to the area. In Masafer Yatta, water supply to 11 communities has been disrupted since late January, when settlers cut the main transmission pipeline and repeatedly sabotaged the network.

·       To mitigate the impact of these violent incidents, partners have implemented a range of emergency interventions, including: water trucking; installing or rehabilitating water networks; providing water storage tanks; rehabilitating cisterns; installing or repairing latrines; desludging wastewater; and distributing hygiene kits.

Displacement & Demolitions‍ ‍

This week, 40 Palestinian-owned structures were demolished, including 14 homes, displacing 58 people (26 children).‍ ‍

·       Israeli soldiers using sexual assault to force Palestinians out of West Bank, report says. Experts say attacks, also carried out by settlers, are leading girls to quit school and enter early marriages. here

·       Just over half of the structures (17) and all displacement (23 people) in Area C were in the community of Az Za'ayyem Bedouins (Jerusalem), 1 of 18 communities (4,000+ people) residing in an area designated for the E1 settlement plan in eastern Jerusalem governorate by Israel to create a continuous built-up area between Ma’ale Adumim settlement and Jerusalem.

·       4/14, Palestinian family of 8 (3 children) was displaced in a Hebron herding community by recurrent settler attacks. Settler attacks account for 75% of West Bank displacement in 2026, intensifying the coercive environment of forcible transfer.

·       4/21, settlers from a new outpost near Tayasir checkpoint (Tubas) raided the Hammamat al Maleh community, demolishing 2 residential structures and an elementary school serving 60 children from herding communities. They fully displaced the last 3 remaining Palestinian households (15 people, 6 children) in the community. This is 1 of 6 communities fully displaced in Tubas governorate since 2023 by settler attacks and access restrictions.

·       Since January 2023, 116 communities across the West Bank have experienced full or partial displacement due to settler attacks and related access restrictions, predominantly in Bedouin and herding communities in Area C. These include 45 communities comprising over 3,500 people that have been fully displaced, including 14 communities in 2023 (10 of them in the aftermath of 10/7), 10 in 2024, 12 in 2025 and nine so far in 2026. In total, more than 5,800 Palestinians have been displaced within this context, including about 1,960 people in 2026.

Prison‍ ‍

·       Moataz Ibrahim al-Baytawi, a political prisoner held for 15 months by P.A. security forces at al-Junaid Prison in Nablus has been hospitalized after a sharp deterioration in his health amid allegations of torture. He has been detained without criminal conviction, and had staged a hunger strike protesting his continued imprisonment and the PA’s refusal to implement a court order for his release. He was reportedly subjected to torture throughout his detention. The family is calling for an immediate independent investigation into conditions at al-Junaid Prison and demanding that he receive full medical care and protection from further abuse. (Drop Site 4/28)

LEBANON‍ ‍‍ ‍

·       Israel’s assault on Lebanon has killed 2,618 and wounded 8,094 since 3/2, with Israeli airstrikes and demolitions continuing despite the “ceasefire.” ‍ ‍(OCHAOPT & Drop Site 5/1)

·       Since 3/2, at least 100 aid workers have been killed and more than 190 wounded. More than 1.1 million people in Lebanon—one fifth of the country’s population—have been displaced since 3/2.‍ ‍

·       An unprecedented campaign of DNA tests is being used to identify mangled bodies left trapped under rubble by Israel’s blitz. “The bodies arrive completely disfigured,” said Hisham Fawwaz, director of the hospitals and dispensaries department at the Lebanese Ministry of Health. “The remains are scattered and the features obliterated. We are often not dealing with whole bodies. We are dealing with human fragments that the force of the explosions has turned into medical puzzles.” (The Intercept 4/17)

·       Food security in Lebanon has sharply worsened since Israel escalated its assault on 3/2, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world’s leading authority on food crises. Around 1.24 million people in Lebanon are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity between April and August 2026, marking a significant increase from the estimated 874,000 people in the previous assessment period. The biggest increases are found in southern Lebanon. The decline in food security is driven by renewed conflict, displacement, and ongoing economic challenges. (OCHAOPT & Drop Site 4/29)

·       Israeli military published a map showing a newly-established “Yellow Line” line inside Lebanon where its troops were deployed. The map named more than 50 southern villages to which residents should not return. The deployment line runs 5-10 km deep along the border into Lebanon. Israel also ordered residents to stay away from the area of the Litani River. 

·       4/16-4/19 Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research and National Center for Natural Hazards and Early Warning recorded 220 Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement across more than 15 categories in the roughly 72 hours between midnight 4/16 and noon 4/19, according to figures published by legal research organization Al-Mofakira Al-Qanouniya. The violations included 52 artillery bombardments, 50 mining and detonation operations, 30 aerial violations by combat and surveillance aircraft, 15 ground patrols with automatic weapons, 7 airstrikes, 4 phosphorus bomb and sonic device deployments, and 62 additional recorded incidents. Three people were killed and seven were injured during the period, including four paramedics. (Drop Site 4/22)

·       4/19, IOF is continuing the systematic destruction of villages in southern Lebanon during a cease-fire, with military commanders telling Haaretz that civilian homes, public buildings and schools are being demolished as part of a broader policy to "clear the area," (Haaretz 4/19)

·       The army’s plan, dubbed “Operation Silver Plow,” reportedly assigns units quotas for homes destroyed, with contractors paid per building destroyed. They must report “how many homes [they] destroyed” each day, a soldier said. Troops are ordered to guard them under drone threat: “We stand there, exposed… There’s no logic to this.” “The only mission is to continue the destruction,” one officer said. Another added: “It isn’t terrorist infrastructure; we’re destroying everything.” (Drop Site 5/1)

·       4/22, Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was targeted and killed by an Israeli strike. Khalil and freelance photojournalist Zeinab Faraj had been reporting on attacks when a nearby vehicle was hit by a drone, killing 2 people and prompting the journalists to take shelter in a house that was later bombed. Israeli fire obstructed rescue efforts -- Red Cross teams and vehicles came under attack while attempting to evacuate the wounded. Faraj was eventually rescued with critical injuries, while Khalil’s body was finally recovered after access was granted. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the incident, citing “repeated strikes on the same location” and the obstruction of humanitarian access as a serious violation of international law. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed his condolences and posted that Israel’s “deliberate and consistent targeting of journalists” was aimed at “concealing the truth of its aggressive acts against Lebanon” and that such acts constitute “crimes against humanity punishable under international laws and conventions.” (OCHAOPT & Drop Site 4/22 & Guardian 4/24)

·       4/25, Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed 6 and wounded 17. Airstrikes on 4/26, the deadliest day since the “ceasefire” was announced on 4/16, killed 14 (2 children) and injured 37. Israel said its airstrike on a café in a crowded displacement area “targeted Hezbollah terrorists and military infrastructure.” 

·       Israeli forces destroyed solar panels supplying electricity and water to Debel, a Christian village surrounded by Israeli troops whose residents refuse to evacuate. An airstrike also targeted a nearby electricity substation. Debel is the village where an Israeli soldier was filmed destroying a statue of Jesus. (OCHAOPT & Drop Site 4/27)

·       4/25, WHO reports over 17,000 infections linked to rodents and parasites among displaced Palestinians since the beginning of the year. More than 80% of displacement sites report pest infestations and widespread skin infections. (Palestine Chronicle 4/25)

·       4/29, an Israeli airstrike killed 3 Lebanese Civil Defense first responders carrying out a rescue mission in Majdal Zoun, in southern Lebanon’s Tyre District, and 2 soldiers attempting to rescue the paramedics. (OCHAOPT & Drops Site 4/29)

·       4/29, in a further escalation, Israeli occupation forces shelled the town of Yahmar Shaqif with phosphorus, raising concerns over use of internationally prohibited weapons in populated areas. (Palestine Chronicle 4/29)

·       4/30, Israeli warplanes, drones, and artillery carried out more than 70 strikes across southern Lebanon, killing at least 32 people and wounding scores across Tyre, Bint Jbeil, and Nabatieh districts, according to NNA and the Public Health Ministry. An Israeli drone strike on a cemetery in Zibdin, Nabatieh, killed six people and wounded several others. The attack struck while civilians were present at the cemetery, mourning loved ones they recently lost.

·       5/1, Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon killed at least six people and wounded more than a dozen. One woman was killed and four others injured when a home was hit in Ain Baal, east of Tyre. In Borj Qallawiya in Bint Jbeil district, one person was killed in another air raid, while a strike on Deir Qanoun Ras al-Ain—al-Nassar area left two people dead and two injured. In Nabatieh al-Fawqa, the health ministry said two people were killed and 10 wounded in an Israeli attack.

·       4/30, Hezbollah carried out 10 operations in one day against Israeli military positions in southern Lebanon, killing at least one soldier and wounding 4 others. Hezbollah said all operations were conducted in response to Israeli strikes on civilian villages, home demolitions, and systematic ceasefire violations, calling the attacks “the minimum duty to deter [Israel] and prevent it from persisting in its dangerous objectives against Lebanon.” (Drop Site 5/1)

·       5/1, Israel committed 377 ceasefire violations in April, killing 111 Palestinians as aid deliveries reached only a quarter of agreed levels. (Drop Site 5/1)

·       Israeli soldiers have been looting significant amounts of property from homes and businesses in southern Lebanon, according to testimonies given to Haaretz by Israeli soldiers and commanders stationed inside the country, including stealing motorcycles, televisions, paintings, sofas, and rugs on a wide scale. The looting has expanded in part because some Israeli military police checkpoints at exit points from southern Lebanon were removed, while others were never set up. IOF soldiers say that 'when there is no punishment, the message is clear.' 

ISRAEL‍ ‍

·       Israel’s genocide in Gaza exposed how AI is changing warfare in terrifying and deadly ways. With the help of Big Tech, Israel, along with the US, is now expanding its use of AI in Iran and Lebanon, widening its testing ground for AI-enabled military technology – with more deadly consequences. (Zeteo 4/20)

·       4/26, 21st Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Ceremony, held annually on the eve of Israel’s Memorial Day and organized by Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle–Families Forum, was held at an undisclosed location in Tel Aviv for the safety of participants. The ceremony offered bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families a rare space to jointly mourn loved ones lost to the conflict, and to raise their voices in calling for an end to war and Israeli occupation. (972+ 4/26)

·       4/27, IOF chief Eyal Zamir  rebuked senior commanders for failing to prevent what he called the "disgrace" of looting by Israeli troops in Lebanon as well as a broader moral erosion among soldiers, announcing a crackdown on the disciplinary and criminal handling of such acts. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that "south Lebanon should be dealt with just like Gaza" when announcing that the IOF had destroyed an "underground terrorist infrastructure" in the area. (Haaretz 4/28)

·       4/30, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel petitioned Israel’s High Court to release 14 detained Gaza doctors, arguing they are being held without charge while they are urgently needed in Gaza where the medical system is collapsing. here

·       July of 2021, Israeli forces stormed the offices of Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-Palestine) in the West Bank city of Al-Bireh, launching an escalating campaign of official harassment against the organization, which documented and publicized human rights abuses against Palestinian children. That campaign ended last month in DCI-Palestine’s decision to shut down its operations, under mounting pressure from the Israeli government. Jewish Currents spoke with Khaled Quzmar DCI-Ps general director about what happened. here‍ ‍

·       Uri Tzafon, the far-right movement pushing for Jewish settlement of Lebanon, has advanced its vision significantly over the last six weeks. What was considered a fringe curiosity in 2024 is transforming into the new Israeli conventional wisdom—backed by an organized movement with broad support from politicians and the media. Even as negotiations proceed, the next time Israel attacks, Uri Tzafon will be one step closer to building civilian settlements atop the ruins of Lebanese villages. (Jewish Currents 4/20)

Prisons‍ ‍

·       4/22, At least 90 Palestinian women are currently being held in Israeli detention, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, including minors, a pregnant woman, journalists, and administrative detainees who are held without charge. Detainees are subjected to harsh conditions including starvation, medical neglect, solitary confinement, and sexual abuse. (Drop Site 4/22)

·       Israel has extended the detention of Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital arrested in December 2024, without charge and without setting a time limit. Dr. Abu Safiya has been denied access to a lawyer for over 2 months since being transferred to Ketziot Prison in the Negev Desert. His family warns his health is seriously deteriorating due to physical violence inflicted on him, ongoing significant weight loss, and systematic medical neglect. (OCHAOPT & Drop Site 4/28)

·       Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has blocked families from depositing funds for medical equipment for Palestinian prisoners since 10/7/23. Adam Oweineh, a 24-year-old deaf detainee from the occupied West Bank village of Battir held in administrative detention without charge since 01/2025. Oweineh had the batteries for his cochlear implant confiscated upon arrival and was beaten by guards when he failed to hear orders during a headcount. Guards then imposed collective punishment on his entire cell—withholding food, sheets, and mattresses for three days and deploying tear gas and dogs. (Drop Site 4/28)

·       4/30, Israel reportedly intercepted nearly a dozen boats part of the latest Gaza aid flotilla and abducted participants in international waters off the coast of Crete – more than 60 miles from Gaza. According to the Global Sumud Flotilla tracker, at least 22 of the more than 50 boats in the flotilla had been intercepted. Francesca Albanese called Israel’s illegal actions “apartheid without borders.” (Zeteo 4/30) Approx. 170 participants were taken to Crete late 4/30, while 2 remain in Israeli custody. (Drop Site 5/1)

UNITED STATES‍ ‍

·       In a sign of the massive change sweeping US politics, Jewish liberal Zionist advocacy group J Street has declared its support for phasing out direct U.S. military aid to Israel. The shift is a huge one for a mainstream, avowedly pro-Israel group with close ties to the Democratic Party, and a further sign that ending military aid has become the consensus position in the Democratic electorate. (If Not Now 4/24)

·       “In February, I [Dr. Nathan P. Chomilo] was summarily removed from my chairmanship [of the Council on Health Equity] and barred from serving in any leadership role in the Academy [American Academy of Pediatrics or AAP] for five years – all because I urged the AAP to follow its own stated principles as they pertained to the Gaza genocide. But my expulsion was only one part of a larger pattern of complicity from the organization.” here

·       Under Trump, Green Card Seekers Face New Scrutiny for Views on Israel. In guidance to immigration officers, the administration describes participating in pro-Palestinian protests and criticizing Israel as “overwhelmingly negative” factors. here

·       American Assoc of University Professors grows quickly, pushing back against Trump’s attacks on universities, filing over a dozen lawsuits. They were especially upset when the Administration began arresting international students for Palestine solidarity. here

·       US Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the University of Washington’s “handling of antisemitism” in response to planned events by a protest group UW says isn’t affiliated with the school. here‍ ‍

·       Trinity University San Antonio just denied tenure to our Islamic Studies professor, Sajida Jalalzai.  Their reasoning is patent nonsense and everyone knows it’s because of her Palestine advocacy. here

·       Canary Mission All paid through an Israeli non-profit, Megamot Shalom, which runs Canary Mission with funding from the US and from the Israeli government here

EUROPE‍ ‍

·       The British Foreign Office closed the unit tracking breaches of international humanitarian law by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, citing budget cuts. The shutdown ends funding for the Conflict and Security Monitoring Project, run by the Centre for Information Resilience, which operated the world’s largest open-source monitoring system for human rights incidents across Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. The closure means the Foreign Office will lose access to a database of 26,000 verified incidents in the Middle East.

AUSTRALIA‍ ‍

·       Pro-Palestinan activists have vowed to challenge new Queensland laws banning the phrase ‘From the River to the Sea’ in the high court after more than 20 people were arrested in a weekend of mass protests across Brisbane. At least two more people were arrested on 4/19 in a march on Parliament House to protest against the laws, a day after 20 were arrested for reciting or displaying the prohibited expression. (Guardian 4/19) 

SOURCES‍ ‍

OCHAOPT, Drop Site News, Guardian, Haaretz, +972, Jewish Currents, Intercept, Zeteo, New York Times, Palestine Chronicle, If Not Now, The Nation, Zeteo, Aljazeera, San Antonio Current, UNSCO

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