Israeli curfews, illegal settler attacks tighten pressure on West Bank civilians: UN humanitarian office

By Lina Altawell

ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli-imposed curfews, military raids, and escalating attacks by illegal Israeli settlers have intensified pressure on Palestinian civilians across the West Bank, restricting movement, displacing communities, and worsening access to basic services, according to the UN humanitarian office.

About 25,000 Palestinians in Hebron’s H2 area were placed under curfew and severe movement restrictions after Israeli forces launched a large-scale operation on Jan. 19, sharply limiting access to food, health care, and education, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on Thursday.

Israeli forces said the operation aimed to dismantle “militant infrastructure” and seize “illegal weapons.”

Residents faced “blocked roads,” rooftop sniper deployments, and widespread detentions, while around 7,200 students shifted to remote learning, OCHA said.

Between Jan. 6 and Jan. 19, two Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, with 87 others injured, it reported.

One Palestinian man was shot while driving with family members in Hebron. Israeli forces initially alleged an attempted vehicle attack, but later said no evidence supported that claim and that the incident remained under review.

Another fatality occurred during a raid in Al Mughayyir village, where Israeli forces fired live ammunition as residents left Friday prayers, according to local sources cited by the UN office.

Israeli forces also conducted multiple raids across the West Bank, including a major operation in Nablus’ Old City, where 26 Palestinians were injured, and journalists and medical teams were detained, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said.

OCHA reported that ongoing settler attacks and intimidation displaced more than 100 Palestinian Bedouin and herding households from five communities in the past two weeks, most from Ras 'Ein al 'Auja in the Jericho area.

At least 77 households began dismantling their homes after intensified nighttime attacks, threats, and property damage.

On Jan. 6-19, OCHA also documented at least 55 settler attacks that caused injuries or property damage, wounding 30 Palestinians and two Israeli settlers.

Several attacks targeted water systems and schools, disrupting services for tens of thousands of Palestinians, it said.

Israeli authorities also demolished 27 Palestinian-owned structures for lacking building permits during the reporting period, displacing 50 people, including 23 children.

Two additional homes were demolished on punitive grounds, forcing families from their residences, the UN agency report also said.

Tensions rose further in the occupied East Jerusalem after Israeli forces entered and shut down a health center of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and demolished buildings inside the agency headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the actions, saying: “These measures are a violation of the inviolability of United Nations premises, and an obstacle to the implementation of the clear mandate of the General Assembly for UNRWA’s continued operations.”

The humanitarian impact extends beyond security incidents. More than 72,000 farming and herding families, nearly two-thirds of all agricultural households, urgently need emergency assistance due to income losses, access restrictions, and rising costs, according to a Food and Agriculture Organization survey cited by OCHA.

The World Food Program reported that the West Bank economy contracted by 13% between 2023 and 2025, while unemployment reached 28.5% in late 2025, eroding household purchasing power and food security, OCHA noted.

It said the combination of military operations, settler violence, demolitions, and economic decline is driving widespread displacement and deepening humanitarian needs across the West Bank.