Occupied Palestinian Territories in Crisis

The Occupied Palestinian Territory is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with both Gaza and the West Bank experiencing unprecedented levels of violence and deprivation.

In Gaza, following the collapse of a brief pause in hostilities in March 2025, Israeli forces resumed intensive bombardment while maintaining a complete blockade that has now entered its eighth week, preventing all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies from entering.

This has left Gaza’s 2.2 million residents facing starvation as food stocks deplete, bakeries cease operations due to lack of flour and fuel, and nearly 90% of the population remains displaced with critical infrastructure almost entirely destroyed.

A new U.S.-backed peace plan led to a pause in hostilities agreement coming into effect on 10 October 2025, raising cautious hopes for increased humanitarian access and a potential reduction in hostilities after months of relentless violence. However, despite the pause in hostilities, sporadic violations, limited aid entry, and continued displacement highlight the fragility of the pause in hostilities and the deep humanitarian strain that persists across Gaza.

Meanwhile, the West Bank has seen a dramatic escalation in military operations, particularly since the launch of “Operation Iron Wall” in January 2025, which has resulted in mass displacement of Palestinians and widespread destruction across refugee camps. Israeli forces have displaced approximately 40,000 people, with officials stating that residents will not be allowed to return for at least a year, while expanded checkpoints and military presence severely restrict movement between Palestinian cities.

International organisations and UN bodies have expressed increasing concern about systematic violations of international humanitarian law in the West Bank, including accelerating settlement expansion, land reclassification and forced displacement that multiple observers warn are driving de facto annexation dynamics.

These concerns have intensified following the International Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion on the illegality of the prolonged occupation and the Israeli authorities’ security cabinet decisions of 8 February 2026 expanding civil and administrative control over West Bank land and governance.

Reliefweb

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Palestinian Journalists Under Attack – 55 Israeli Violations in May

The Palestinian Journalists Association (PJA) announced, Monday, it documented 55 violations by Israeli occupation soldiers against Palestinian journalists in last May. It described such violations are part of a  systematic policy to restrict and prevent West Bank and Gaza journalists to carry out their professional duties.

The PJA’s Freedoms Committee said in a press statement to Quds Press the Israeli occupation continues its violations against journalists and media workers to limit their ability to report the truth and document attacks and violations against Palestinians.

The documented violations during May included two injuries from live ammunition while covering events in the field, two arbitrary arrests, and 30 cases of detention and prevention from working and covering events.

The committee also recorded five cases of direct gunfire directed at journalists, five attacks using tear gas and stun grenades, in addition to two cases of confiscation of journalistic equipment and two cases of physical assault on journalists.

The violations include two cases of journalists being barred from covering news at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, one of a media outlet being raided and shut down, another of a journalist being brought before a court and three cases of journalists summoned and interrogated.

The committee affirmed that these practices constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and international covenants on freedom of opinion and expression, which stipulate the protection of journalists while performing their professional duties in conflict zones.

It added that the escalating targeting of journalists reflects a systematic approach aimed at restricting media coverage and preventing the dissemination of information about the reality and violations suffered by the Palestinian people. The committee noted that the occupation continues to use various means to suppress media work and obstruct the public’s access to information.

The Committee for Freedoms called on international human rights and media organizations, as well as the United Nations, to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities, pressure the occupation authorities to cease their ongoing violations against Palestinian journalists, hold those responsible accountable, and provide the necessary protection for media workers.

The PJA announced last May it documented nearly 300 Israeli crimes, violations, and attacks against Palestinian journalists since the beginning of 2026 and the trend is set to continue judging from the scale of esclation against media workers.

The press association indicated at the time the number of journalists killed reached 262 since the outbreak of the war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, including 261 journalists murdered in the Gaza Strip, in addition to six journalists killed since the beginning of 2026.

This comes at a time when Israeli attacks against Palestinians continue in various areas, amid increasing complaints about the targeting of journalists, the obstruction of their work, and the prevention of their coverage of events on the ground and their reporting to the public.

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Iran Anounces End of Israel Attacks, Warns of More If…

Iran on Monday announced an end to its attacks on Israel, warning of a “crushing” response if Israeli attacks against Lebanon continued.

“Following the aggressions and evils of the brutal Zionist regime in South Lebanon and the Dahiya region, which took place with the support of the criminal America, the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran gave a painful response to this regime in order to support the oppressed people of Lebanon,” the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a statement carried by the semi-official news agency Tasnim.

Israel and its supporters “should have learned” lessons from Tehran’s response, the military added.

“On this basis, the cessation of armed forces operations is announced.”

It, however, warned that “if the aggressions and evils continue, including in South Lebanon, much more severe and crushing measures will be on the way.”

Tensions escalated on Sunday, when Israel bombed the Lebanese capital Beirut, despite an ongoing ceasefire, prompting Iran to launch missiles at northern Israel in retaliation, with Israel launching several waves of airstrikes against Iran.

Meanwhile, Israeli newspaper Israeli Hayom reported that Tel Aviv and Washington sent a message to Tehran stating that no further attacks will be launched by Israel if Iran does not resume firing.

In a post on his Truth Social platform early Monday, US President Donald Trump called on Israel and Iran to stop fighting “immediately” in the wake of Monday’s tit-for-tat airstrikes. Anadolu

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