In Occupied Palestine

Zionism in practice

Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Land

08:00, 30 October until 08:00, 31 October 2024

[Source of statistics: Palestinian Monitoring Group]

Gaza Strip

Attacks: There are no safe places for the militarily-dominated population in Gaza, who find themselves subjected to airstrikes and other missile attacks on buildings, homes and many essentialfacilities, as well as constant gunfire and invasions by Israeli forces. The Israeli Navy continues to fire missiles, targeting facilities and buildings along the entire Gaza shoreline.

Victims: 41 more people have been killed within the past 48 hours, bringing the total number killed in Gaza since 7 October to at least 43,204. Another 131 have been wounded, bringing that total to 101,640. The daily average number of men, women and children killed in Gaza is at least 110 and, that of those injured, is now more than 261.

OCHA:

Humanitarian Situation Update #234
Gaza Strip

Key Highlights

Four Palestinians were killed in the West Bank during the reporting period, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of 2024 to 430.

Since the beginning of October 2024, about 60 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers across the West Bank and more than 1,000, mostly olive, trees were burnt, sawed-off or otherwise vandalised.

Nearly 60 per cent of olive harvest-related settler incidents so far in October took place in the northern West Bank, with Nablus governorate alone accounting for a third of incidents.

Protection Cluster partners are currently delivering protective presence interventions and emergency response training in 70 West Bank communities highly affected by settler attacks and access restrictions during the current olive harvest season.

Latest Developments (after 28 October)

Three Palestinians were killed during Israeli raids in Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps on 30 and 31 October. One of the raids involved an airstrike, armed clashes, and extensive infrastructural damage, with prolonged access delays facing medical teams and service disruptions affecting water, electricity and internet networks.

Humanitarian Developments(22-28 October)

During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including one child, and injured 35 others, including ten children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The incidents resulting in fatalities are as follows:

Two Palestinians were killed during raids by Israeli forces in Nablus and Tulkarm cities. On 22 October, undercover Israeli forces shot and killed an 11-year-old Palestinian boy who threw stones at military jeeps as they were withdrawing from Nablus city. On 26 October, at about 05:00, Israeli forces raided with bulldozers Tulkarm city and surrounded a multi-storey residential building in As Salam neighbourhood, exchanged fire with armed Palestinians inside the building, and fired Energa anti-tank grenades. During the eight-hour operation, a 29-year-old Palestinian man was killed in the exchange of fire. According to Israeli authorities cited in the media, the man was a commander of an armed group and had recently begun planning further attacks against Israeli civilians.

On 26 October, Israeli forces killed a 23-year-old Palestinian man trying to reach his workplace in Israel, via informal openings in the Barrier near ‘Azzun ‘Atma village, in Qalqiliya. Since the beginning of the year, two Palestinians have been killed and 24 injured by Israeli forces while trying to cross through informal openings in the Barrier, all by live ammunition.  

On 27 October, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man from Shu’fat refugee camp near Hizma village, in Jerusalem governorate. According to Israeli media sources citing Israeli forces, the forces shot at the man claiming that he attempted to run over Israeli forces stationed at a military post on Road 437 near Hizma village entrance and was said to have tried to stab them. No injuries among Israeli forces were reported. Following the incident, Israeli forces closed Hizma and Shu’fat camp checkpoints, raided the refugee camp where the family of the killed man reside, searched and caused damage to the family home, and summoned his family members for interrogation.

On 23 October, a Palestinian man succumbed to wounds sustained while he was reportedly planting an explosive device in Jenin city on 13 October (not counted in the overall number of Palestinians killed by forces since October 2023, see below). Since the beginning of 2024, two Palestinians have been killed and three injured by improvised explosive devices, all in the northern West Bank.

During the reporting period, Israeli settlers perpetrated about 70 attacks against Palestinians, more than half of which resulted in casualties, property damage or both. In total, 12 Palestinians were injured, 11 by Israeli settlers and one by Israeli forces, 120 grapevines, 65 guava saplings, and at least 40, mainly olive, trees were vandalised, water tanks, one electricity pole and other property were damaged, and agricultural tools were stolen. In addition, a 70-year-old Palestinian woman was injured while fleeing from armed Israeli settlers, believed to be from a pastoral settlement outpost near Eli settlement, who attacked four Palestinian families harvesting olives in Qaryut village, south of Nablus governorate. The families were forced to leave their land and were unable to continue the harvest.

The following are some of the key settler attacks that took place during the reporting period, which entailed intimidation, harassment, physical injury, property damage or a combination thereof, and include cases where Israeli forces were present:

On 22 October, Israeli settlers believed to be from an outpost near Einav settlement attacked Palestinian farmers in Ramin village, east of Tulkarm city. According to community sources, about 10 Palestinian farmers were harvesting olives on their lands in Area B, when Israeli settlers arrived in the area and ordered them to leave. When the Palestinians refused, the settlers harassed and physically assaulted the farmers and vandalised their tractor.

On 22 October, Israeli settlers believed to be from Kfar Tapuah settlement vandalized the main electricity pole that connects the Palestinian village of Yasuf in Salfit governorate with the power grid and burned five olive trees belonging to a Palestinian family near the settlement. According to community sources, this resulted in a 17-hour-long power outage. On the same day, Israeli settlers believed to be from the same settlement vandalised about 30 olive trees, aged between 20 and 30 years, in the same village.

On 27 October, according to community sources, Israeli settlers, under the protection of Israeli forces, attacked at least four Palestinian families harvesting olives in Area C of Beitillu village, in Ramallah governorate. Some of the settlers were armed and believed to be from Nahliel settlement. Settlers injured two Palestinian men with stones, damaged three vehicles, stole harvested olives, and ordered the families to leave the land. When the families refused to leave, the settlers fired live bullets in the air, forcing all the families to leave the area.

On 27 October, a group of armed Israeli settlers believed to be from Asfar settlement attacked four Palestinian farmers while they were working on their land near Ash Shuykh village northeast of Hebron governorate. The settlers were accompanied by Israeli forces, who detained the farmers and transported them to a nearby military post in Wadi Sair. After a few hours, the Israeli forces released the farmers, who returned to their land and discovered extensive damage, believed to have been carried out by Israeli settlers. About 6,000 seedlings of seasonal vegetables in two greenhouses and five surveillance cameras were stolen, and a metal gate, an electric generator and a water irrigation network were damaged.

On 28 October, Israeli settlers believed to be from Shavei Shomron settlement pepper-sprayed a 73-year-old Palestinian man and stole four sacks of olives his family had harvested in Sabastiya village, in Nablus governorate. The family was forced to leave before completing the harvest.

Between 1 and 28 October, OCHA documented nearly 270 settler-related incidents affecting Palestinians and their property in about 110 communities across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Of these, more than half were directly related to the olive harvest, resulting in 59 Palestinians injured by settlers, 12 injured by Israeli forces, more than 1,000 mostly olive trees burnt, sawed-off or otherwise vandalised, and many crops and harvesting tools stolen. Nearly 60 per cent of olive harvest-related settler incidents so far this month took place in the northern West Bank, with Nablus governorate alone accounting for a third of incidents. A quarter of the incidents took place in the central West Bank, mainly in Ramallah governorate, and roughly 15 per cent in Bethlehem and Hebron governorates in the southern West Bank. While the geographic breakdown of incidents is generally consistent with trends observed in the olive harvest season in previous years, the volume of incidents has significantly increased and is at least double the number of harvest-related settler incidents documented in October of 2023 (60 incidents), 2022 (59 incidents), and 2021 (36 incidents). This sharp rise highlights the growing threat to Palestinian farmers and their olive-based livelihoods, with most incidents taking place in areas that Palestinians were unable to access during the 2023 olive harvest season, when more than 96,000 dunums of olive-cultivated land remain unharvested due to restricted access and fear of settler attacks. Furthermore, according to community sources, many settler incidents during this season have entailed prevention of access to lands where people had previously not faced similar access restrictions. According to the Protection Cluster, the escalating violence marks a deterioration in the protection environment, heightens vulnerabilities, and underscores the pressing need for improved protection of civilians and continued advocacy for the rights and safety of affected people during this critical agricultural production period and beyond.

Some restrictions on access to agricultural lands were partially lifted this year, with farmers generally permitted to access olive groves located within 200 metres of Israeli settlement boundaries and access to lands behind the Separation Barrier anticipated to be facilitated by Israeli forces by early November. Nevertheless, Palestinian farmers continue to face significant barriers in accessing lands in or near settlements and those isolated by the Barrier, which jeopardises their ability to sustain their olive-based livelihoods. As was the case in 2023, private Palestinian land located within the boundaries of Israeli settlements and along main roads used by settlers remains completely off-limits to Palestinian farmers this season. However, unlike 2023, access to groves located within 200 meters of settlement boundaries was facilitated, subject to a “prior coordination” process with the Israeli authorities. Yet, their access has been frequently disrupted by settler attacks and access impediments imposed by Israeli forces or settlers. Impediments include physical barriers, limited time windows for land access, as well as placing limitations on the age and number of farmers permitted to reach their lands. For example, initial information indicates that Israeli authorities are limiting access to Palestinian agricultural lands near Mevo Dotan settlement to about 50 farmers aged 40 years or older, which will seriously hamper the ability of families from Kufr Ra’i, Arraba, and Ya’bad towns in Jenin governorate to gain access to about 18,000 dunums (1,800 hectares), including at least 2,000 dunums (200 hectares) of olive groves, near this settlement. Across the West Bank, Palestinians in at least 110 communities own land within or near 56 Israeli settlements.

The Protection Cluster, led by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), in coordination with OCHA, other humanitarian and human rights partners, and international volunteers, are currently delivering protective presence interventions and emergency response training in 70 West Bank communities highly affected by settler attacks and access restrictions during the current olive harvest season. Activities have also included legal support, distribution of agricultural tool kits, and carrying out emergency preparedness training sessions on response actions. In the H2 area of Hebron, partners reported facing access restrictions that limited their ability to support families in the area. To enhance coordination, the West Bank Protection Cluster issued a Do No Harm guidance and checklists, launched a WhatsApp group for real-time updates, and rolled out an Incident Reporting Form for tracking protection-related incidents involving Israeli settlers or forces.

During the reporting period, there were no structures demolished by Israeli authorities in the West Bank on punitive grounds or due to lacking Israeli-issued building permits. One demolition incident took place on 26 October in an eight-hour operation by Israeli forces in Tulkarm city (see above), during which a multi-storey residential building was severely damaged, resulting in the displacement of four households comprising 23 people, including 11 children, and five nearby houses sustained damage.

Key Figures

Since 7 October 2023, 736 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 719 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, 12 by Israeli settlers, and seven where it remains unknown whether the perpetrators were Israeli forces or settlers. During the same period, 23 Israelis, including 16 members of Israeli forces and six settlers, were killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In Israel, attacks by Palestinians from the West Bank resulted in the killing of 16 Israelis and eight Palestinian perpetrators.

Since 7 October 2023, OCHA documented nearly 1,600 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians that resulted in casualties, property damage or both. Moreover, 287 Palestinians households comprising 1,682 people, including 816 children, have been displaced in Bedouin and herding communities across the West Bank, primarily citing attacks by Israeli settlers and access restrictions.

Since 7 October 2023, Israeli authorities destroyed, confiscated, sealed or forced the demolition of about 1,800 Palestinian structures across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, displacing more than 4,630 Palestinians, including about 1,950 children. These include about 2,900 Palestinians, including over 1,160 children, who were displaced due to the destruction of homes during operations by Israeli forces.

For additional breakdowns of casualties, displacement and settler violence between January 2023 and September 2024, please refer to the OCHA West Bank snapshot.

West Bank

[Palestinian Monitoring Group]

Israeli Occupation settler olive harvest sabotage: Ramallah – 08:15, guards, from the Shilo Occupation settlement, opened fire indiscriminately at olive harvesters on Turmusaya land.

Israeli Army air strike – 2 killed – 1 taken prisoner – destruction: Tulkarem – 23:00, Israeli Occupation forces, storming the Nur Shams refugee camp, carried out a drone-launched airstrike that killed a 17-year-old youth, Ahmad Issam Fahmawi, as well as one other person, Abdul Aziz Mahmoud Ismail Abu Al-Saman. During the storming, the Israeli Army bulldozed streets and destroyed infrastructure, causing a power outage. One resident was taken prisoner.

Israeli Army – 1 person sought after and murdered: Tulkarem – 23:00, Israeli forces stormed the Tulkarem refugee camp, searching for and shooting dead, a man: Hussam Bassam Yousef Malah.

Israeli Army – 1 person wounded and a youngster abducted: Qalqiliya – 21:35–02:25, the Israeli Army, firing live ammunition, stormed the city, wounding one person, Rabhi Majdi Abu Hamed, and abducting a 16-year-old youth: Subhi Abdul Rahman Muhammad Qaraan.

Israeli Army attack: Hebron – Israeli troops, firing live ammunition, stormed the town of Dura.

Population–control and seizure of homes – land-grab: Jerusalem – the Israeli Occupation ordered the seizure of an area of Umm Tuba village land, forcing the evacuation of around 30 houses, home to 139 villagers.

Home invasion: Jerusalem – 00:25–08:00, Israeli forces raided al-Ram and invaded a home.

Home invasions: Salfit – dawn, the Israeli Army raided al-Zawiya and searched two houses.

Home invasions: Hebron – 01:50, Israeli troops raided the city and invaded a number of homes.

Israeli Army population–control: Jerusalem – 07:20-08:30, Israeli Occupation forces closed to traffic the entrance to al-Eizariya.

Israeli police and settlers’ mosque violation: Jerusalem – 08:00, settler militants, escorted by Israeli police, invaded the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and molested worshippers.

Israeli Army population–control: Tubas – 12:55, Israeli Occupation forces began constructing a wall and a road around the village of Bardala, in the North Jordan Valley.

Israeli Army agricultural sabotage: Qalqiliya – afternoon, Israeli forces demolished an agricultural nursery, as well as another farming facility, near the eastern entrance to the city.

Israeli Army olive harvest sabotage: Nablus – 11:00, the Israeli Army forced off olive harvesters from land, near the Elon Moreh Occupation settlement, in order to stop the local olive harvest from proceeding.

Israeli Army olive harvest sabotage: Hebron – 11:20, Israeli troops detained olive harvesters working on Yatta town land and assaulted one of them, 70-year-old Muhammad Saeed al-Haroush, before forcing all of them from off the land.

Occupation settler terrorism: Tubas – 14:30, an armed settler entered the al-Farisiya area of the North Jordan Valley and threatened people as he roamed among their homes.

Occupation settler land-grab: Tubas – Israeli settlers planted olive trees on agricultural land, south of the village of Ein al-Bayda in the North Jordan Valley.

Occupation settler plunder: Nablus – 22:20, Occupation settlers invaded an area of Qusra town and stole water–storage tanks.

Occupation settler population–control: Salfit – 10:00, Israeli Occupation settlers closed the road entrance to the village of Yasuf.

Occupation settler population–control: Jericho – 13:20, Israeli settlers raided the outskirts of the Arab al-Maliha community and fenced–off a home with barbed–wire.

Occupation settler violence: Bethlehem – 11:10, Occupation settlers assaulted two people, Muslim Awni Muhammad Shalaldeh and Imad Musa Muhammad Shalaldeh, in the village of al-Minya.

Occupation settler terrorism: Hebron – 19:05, Israeli settlers invaded the Jourat al-Khail area, east of Sa’ir, and assaulted a number of people, threatening to steal a flock of sheep from one person.

Raid – 6 taken prisoner: Jerusalem – 10:00, Israeli Occupation forces raided al-Eizariya, taking prisoner six people.

Raid: Jerusalem – 14:30, Israeli forces raided al-Ram and invaded a number of shops.

Raid – 6 taken prisoner – 1 taken prisoner – theft: Ramallah – 03:10–06:00, the Israeli Army, firing stun grenades, raided Beitunya, taking one person prisoner and stealing a motor vehicle.

Raid: Tulkarem – 11:55, Israeli troops raided and patrolled the town of Zeita.

Raids: Tulkarem – 06:35, the Israeli military raided and patrolled the town of Kafr al-Labad as well as the village of Shufa.

Raid: Tulkarem – 23:00, Israeli soldiers stormed the city.

Raid: Qalqiliya – 19:50-midnight, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled the village of Hajja.

Raid: Qalqiliya – 19:50–01:10, Israeli forces raided and patrolled the village of Baqa al-Hatab.

Raid: Qalqiliya – 21:40–02:25, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled the town of Azzun.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Qalqiliya – 23:30–02:25, Israeli troops raided the town of Jayus, taking prisoner one person.

Raid: Nablus – 14:00-16:00, the Israeli military raided and patrolled the village of Kafr Qallil.

Raid – abduction: Nablus – 14:00, Israeli soldiers raided the village of Asira al-Qibliya and abducted a 13-year-old boy: Muhammad Burhan Mahmoud Abu Khalaf.

Raid: Nablus – 17:40, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled the village of Naqoura.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Nablus – 02:25–05:30, Israeli forces raided the town of Asira al-Shamaliya, taking prisoner one person.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Nablus – 02:30–05:30, the Israeli Army raided the village of Rujeib, taking prisoner one person.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Nablus – 03:30–05:30, Israeli troops raided the village of Salem, taking prisoner one person.

Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Nablus – dawn, the Israeli military raided the town of Beit Furik, taking prisoner one person.

Raid: Salfit – 08:10, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled the town of Bidya.

Raid: Salfit – 19:00-20:00, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled the village of Haris.

Raids: Salfit – 07:00, Israeli forces raided and patrolled Qarawat Bani Hassan and Bidya, as well as the villages of Sarta and Masha.

Raid – terror: Bethlehem – 08:15-10:00, the Israeli Army raided the town of al-Khadr, menacing school students.

Raid: Bethlehem – 09:30-11:30, Israeli troops raided and patrolled the village of al-Jab’a.

Raid: Bethlehem – 17:50–01:45, the Israeli military raided and patrolled the village of Harmalah.

Raid – stun grenades fired: Bethlehem – 08:15, Israeli soldiers fired stun grenades at school students during their raid on al-Khadr.

Raid – on refugee camp: Hebron – 15:35-17:25, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled the al-Arroub refugee camp.

Raid – 3 injured: Hebron – 16:30-17:50, Israeli forces raided Beit Ummar, injuring three people.

Raid: Hebron – 19:30-21:00, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled the town of al-Karmil.

Raid: Hebron – 21:00, Israeli troops raided and patrolled al-Samou.

Raid: Hebron – 23:30, the Israeli military raided and patrolled the village of Abu al-Asja.

Raid: Hebron – 00:50, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled al-Dhahiriya.

Raid – 8 taken prisoner: Hebron – 03:10–dawn, Israeli Occupation forces raided the town of Dura, taking prisoner eight people.