Over the past year, Israel launched its most deadly strikes on the occupied West Bank in over 20 years. Between 7 October 2023 and 30 September 2024, 695 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in addition to two who died of wounds sustained prior to 7 October. These include 678 killed by Israeli forces, 12 by Israeli settlers, and seven where it remains unknown whether the perpetrators were Israeli forces or settlers.
Israel also intensified the use of its air force to target Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank, killing 146 Palestinians and injuring 54 in 55 air strikes. By contrast, six Palestinians were killed in air strikes in 2023 (up till October) and none in the preceding three years.
While the world focussed on events in Gaza, Israeli authorities demolished, destroyed, confiscated, or forced the demolition of 1,768 Palestinian structures across the occupied West Bank, displacing more than 4,555 Palestinians, including about 1,910 children between 7 October 2023 and 30 September 2024.
According to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), occupation forces have been supporting violent settler attacks on Palestinians. Between 7 October 2023 and 30 September 2024, OCHA documented about 1,423 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, of which 140 led to Palestinian casualties, 1,135 led to damage to Palestinian property, and 148 led to both casualties and property damage. Since 7 October 2023, 277 Palestinians households comprising 1,628 people, including 794 children, have been displaced in Bedouin and herding communities across the West Bank, primarily citing attacks by Israeli settlers and impeded access to grazing lands by settlers.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israeli occupation forces have been sexually assaulting Palestinian women at checkpoints in the occupied West Bank. One lady reported having a soldier expose himself to her and say: ‘Do you want it? Come and see.”
In spite of the increasing settler attacks, few settlers are held accountable for their offensive. On 9 September, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that he is working to grant 500,000 illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank ‘the same rights of every citizen in Israel.’ He added: ‘My life’s mission is to build the Land of Israel and thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger the State of Israel.’ This came weeks after Israel announced it would allocate two million shekels ($545,000) to finance illegal settler incursions at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. This will be the first time that such incursions have been backed financially by the settler-colonial state.
According to the Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, since the start of the year to July Israeli occupation authorities had made four announcements converting private Palestinian lands into state lands, thereby prohibiting Palestinian citizens from accessing, cultivating or reclaiming them, the Commission noted.
In June, Israel declared it was going to legalise five outposts in the West Bank, establish three new settlements, and seize huge swathes of land where Palestinians seek to create an independent state.
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Is this Gaza or the West Bank?
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Turkiye-American activist shot dead by Israel army in northern occupied West Bank
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Everyday apartheid: Palestinian kids harassed on first day back at school
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Everyday apartheid: Israel bulldozes Palestinian flag
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Israeli settlers release AI video of Al-Aqsa burning
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Israeli settlers kill over 50 sheep on Palestinian farm
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Israel destroys Bedouin Village for 229th time
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Israeli soldiers throw Palestinian bodies off rooftop
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Israel uses bulldozer to throw Palestinian man's body into a pit
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Israeli occupation forces raid Jenin destroying cars, roads and markets
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Eid worshippers barred from Al-Aqsa and beaten by Israeli police
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Israeli forces arrest injured Palestinian & carry him on military jeep
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Palestinian used as ‘human shield’ by Israel speaks from hospital bed
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Israel releases Palestinian detainee held in Nafha Prison since 2021
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Israeli forces bulldoze Nur Shams refugee camp in occupied West Bank
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Israel demolishes home of Arab-Israeli family
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Israel drone strike kills Hamas commander in West Bank
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3 Israel MKs storm Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
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Smotrich launches annexation campaign to expel Palestinians from ‘Area B’ of West Bank
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Handcuffed Palestinian makes Israeli soldiers wait for him to finish coffee
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4 journalists injured by Israel army fire in West Bank
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Everyday apartheid: Israeli soldier shoots Palestinian truck’s tyres
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Israel destroys Palestinian properties in West Bank Raid
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Ramallah market fire after Israeli raid
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Israeli forces strip, beat Palestinian men during Jenin raid
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14-year-old killed in Israel raid of Jenin camp
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Israel demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in occupied West Bank
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Israeli forces assault and beat a young Palestinian man during his arrest
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Israeli forces drop gas from planes on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque
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Israeli forces' attacks on Palestinians at Al-Aqsa Mosque during last Friday of Ramadan
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A video shows Israeli soldiers searching Palestinians at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank
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Israeli sniper shoots a Palestinian near his house in the occupied West Bank, flees the scene
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Video shows an Israeli soldier questioning a 63-year-old Palestinian man if he is Jewish before shooting him
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Israeli soldiers destroy shop for fun
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Israeli soldiers terrorise Palestinian child in Hebron
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Israeli forces shoot unarmed Palestinian man in occupied West Bank
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Israeli checkpoints in occupied West Bank restrict Palestinians' access to Al-Aqsa Mosque
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Israeli special forces abducted a Palestinian from a restaurant where he works before Iftar time
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Ben Gvir backs police who killed child in Jerusalem
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Israeli bulldozer pursues Palestinians during Jenin raid
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Israeli police fatally shoot 13-year-old Palestinian boy
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Israeli forces attack ambulance crews at Al-Aqsa Mosque
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Israeli forces beat Palestinians trying to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque
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Israeli soldier posts video of arresting Palestinians and throwing stun grenades in West Bank
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Israeli National Security Minister vows to further restrict Palestinian movement in occupied West Bank
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Israeli forces shoot boy after running him over
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Undercover Israeli forces kill three Palestinians inside hospital in Jenin
Concept, research and text: Sara Khalil
Videos: Middle East Monitor
Development: MEMO's Digital Team