In October, Israel intensified military operations in northern Gaza. Over 1,100 Palestinians were killed, making it the deadliest month in the North Gaza governorate this year. Israel ordered the evacuation of the approximately 400,000 residents and cut off essential supplies like food, water, fuel, and medicine. This compounds a context marked by the collapse of the healthcare, water and sanitations systems. 91 per cent of the population faces severe food insecurity and famine risk is rising as aid is restricted and 70 per cent of Gaza's agricultural resources have been destroyed. Over the past year, Israeli evacuation orders have impacted at least 84 per cent of Gaza's total area, forcing nearly 2 million people—the entire population—into repeated displacement.

Sources: Associated Press, OCHA, United Nations (1), United Nations (2), Relief Web, OtP Health Cluster, World Health Organization, United Nations (3), UNRWA, Forensic Architecture, World Food Programme, UNDP, International Labour Organisation, UNICEF

On 28 October, the Israeli Knesset passed two bills that prohibit the operations in Israel of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The ban, set to take effect 90 days from its passage, is likely to severely impede the agency in carrying out its role as the principal provider of essential aid and services to Palestinians. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that there is currently no viable alternative to UNRWA and that, amidst the acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the ban will leave Palestinians there without the life-sustaining assistance they need, including healthcare, shelter and food aid. The ban will also impact the welfare of Palestinians in the West Bank who rely on UNRWA's clinics, schools, and social services.

Sources: The Jerusalem Post, United Nations (1), United Nations (2), Reuters, Amnesty International, UN Secretary General

On 22 September, Israeli forces raided Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah, seizing equipment and issuing a renewable 45-day suspension order. Although Ramallah is under the Palestinian Authority’s control in Area A of the occupied West Bank, the raid was carried out under a military closure order reportedly authorized by the head of the Israeli Defence Forces’ Central Command. This follows a law passed in April that empowers Israeli ministers to close foreign news outlets considered a "national security threat." In May, Israel then ordered Al Jazeera to cease operations within its territory, including the closure of its East Jerusalem bureau. Al Jazeera is one of the few international media outlets reporting from Gaza amid the ongoing war and has faced significant challenges since Israel first contemplated plans to shut it down in 2017. This has included the killing, intimidation and arrest of its journalists by Israeli forces, which intensified with the onset of the 2023 war in Gaza. The network condemned the Ramallah office raid and stated it would continue its coverage of Gaza and the occupied territories.

Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera (1), Al Jazeera (2), Haaretz, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2)

Israel launched what it calls a large “counterterrorism” military operation in the West Bank, targeting the densely populated northern governorates of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in coordination with the Border Police and the Shin Bet –Israel’s internal security service–, deployed ground troops, helicopters, and fighter jets, resulting in at least 22 Palestinian deaths. While large-scale IDF operations in the West Bank, occupied since 1967, are common, Israeli sources described the operation as the largest since 2002, labeling it as a "counterterrorism" operation against the “infrastructure” and leaders of Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas. Civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and refugee camps, was violently raided by the IDF. Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz’s proposed a Gaza-style "temporary evacuation" of the population, raising concerns regarding the intensification of Israeli violence and forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank. As of the end of August, the military operation was ongoing.

Sources: Associated Press, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel, United Nations

On 31 July, widespread protests erupted across the occupied West Bank following the assassination of senior Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in an airstrike in northern Tehran, an act reportedly attributed to Israel. Demonstrations were held in major cities, including Ramallah, Hebron, and Nablus, where Palestinians, waving Hamas flags, expressed their outrage over the killing. These protests occurred amid a general strike and broader calls for demonstrations organized by various Palestinian factions. In response to Haniyeh's death, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared a day of public mourning and urged unity among Palestinians. The protests came shortly after Hamas, Fatah, and other factions signed a "national unity" declaration in Beijing on 22 July, which aimed to establish an interim national unity government to govern post-war Gaza. Israel has neither claimed responsibility nor denied involvement in Haniyeh's assassination, who had been residing outside Gaza since 2019. Widespread rallies in support of Hamas across the Fatah-dominated West Bank are unusual, indicating a shift towards increased public expressions of popular support for the faction.

Sources: Al Jazeera (1), The New Arab, Asharq Al-Awsat, Al Jazeera (2), WAFA, PLO, The Times of Israel

On 22 July, Hamas and Fatah, the two main Palestinian factions, signed a "national unity" declaration in Beijing, brokered by China after three days of negotiations. This agreement, supported by 14 Palestinian factions, aims to form an "interim national reconciliation government" after the end of the war in Gaza, though no timeline was provided. The UN welcomed the declaration as a step toward Palestinian unity. The Hamas-Fatah rift began after Hamas's 2006 electoral victory, leading to two parallel governments and preventing national elections. The latest effort by the parties to reconcile by forming a "unity government" in 2014 failed. While the new agreement may improve the chances of future elections, its successful implementation remains uncertain, especially given Israel's opposition to Hamas's role in Gaza governance.

Sources: Palestine News Network, Al Jazeera, Reuters, United Nations, Haaretz