Palestinian communities in the West Bank are facing widespread lockdowns as Israeli military operations intensify, a human rights group warned on Friday. Families in the northern West Bank are staying indoors due to fear of violence, while children are kept out of school and family incomes are disrupted.
Save the Children said the lockdowns also increase the risk of physical harm and detention of children by Israeli forces. The humanitarian group highlighted the urgent need for protections for vulnerable families during the raids.
The northern Tubas governorate has been under siege since Wednesday, with Israeli troops carrying out major operations in other areas, including Jenin. Local reports indicate dozens have been injured in Tubas, and more than 160 Palestinians have been detained since the raids began.
Israel has described its actions as an effort to target Palestinian armed groups. However, residents report that the military has conducted indiscriminate attacks on civilians, blocked journalists and ambulances, and damaged essential infrastructure. Video footage from Jenin showed two unarmed Palestinians being killed while attempting to surrender, drawing international condemnation.
Rights groups have described the operations as part of a “systematic assault” against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The UN reports that Israeli army and settler violence has killed over 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.
The northern West Bank has been especially affected, with roughly 32,000 residents displaced from refugee camps since January and prevented from returning to their homes. Human rights organizations report that home demolitions are being used as a tool to forcibly displace Palestinians.
Ameer, a representative from a Save the Children partner organization in the West Bank, described the raids in Tubas as “a systematic assault by Israeli forces and a continuation of the Israeli government’s collective punishment policy.” He added that children are being cut off from critical services such as education and healthcare, denying them basic rights.
In Gaza, Israeli attacks continue despite a truce brokered with Hamas last month. Recent strikes near Khan Younis and Rafah, including a drone attack in Bani Suheila, have killed Palestinians, with at least 347 casualties reported since the truce began on October 10.
Gaza’s Government Media Office reported 535 Israeli violations since the ceasefire. Aid delivery remains severely limited, with only 9,930 trucks entering Gaza out of nearly 28,000 requested. Officials say this has turned humanitarian assistance into a tool of pressure rather than fulfilling legal and humanitarian obligations.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating at an unprecedented rate, and Israeli attacks have destroyed infrastructure and essential services,” the office said, highlighting the urgent need for relief and protection for civilians in both Gaza and the West Bank.
The ongoing military raids in the West Bank, combined with the strained humanitarian conditions in Gaza, continue to put Palestinian families, particularly children, at severe risk. International organizations are calling for immediate measures to protect civilians and ensure access to basic services during the conflict.