Palestinian territories

Gaza health authorities report the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza war has risen above 74,000 since the conflict began in October 2023. The figure comes as fighting continues and humanitarian conditions in the territory worsen, and it features in a roundup of Middle East developments alongside other regional news.

Palestinian families displaced across Gaza are taking shelter in heavily damaged buildings that could collapse at any time, saying they have nowhere else to go. The report highlights the scale of destruction in the territory and the desperation of residents who have been repeatedly displaced, forced to choose between unsafe ruins and the streets as the conflict continues.

Displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza City are continuing their daily routines and preparing for the winter season amid shortages of basic necessities and very limited shelter options. Large areas of the city remain visibly destroyed, and residents face difficult living conditions as cold weather approaches. The situation is being shared widely as a human rights concern, drawing attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the territory.

Hamas has criticised the Board of Peace, the body overseeing arrangements for Gaza, after it refused to cooperate with UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. The dispute centres on who will deliver aid and services in the territory. Hamas says sidelining UNRWA undermines international legitimacy and Palestinian rights, while the Board of Peace's stance highlights ongoing tensions over the agency's future role.

Israeli authorities have imposed a comprehensive closure on the occupied West Bank, closing border crossings for one week, citing the Jewish holidays, according to Palestinian media reports. Measures include tightened restrictions on Palestinian movement. The announcement is drawing criticism online, with commentary accusing Israel of using the holidays to justify further restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied territory.

Palestinian sources report that Israeli forces shot and killed eight-year-old Mohammed Al-Shekhriti while he was playing outside his family's tent in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. The report circulated rapidly among pro-Palestinian accounts, with many condemning the killing of children in Gaza and calling for accountability and an end to military operations in the territory.

Israeli aircraft carried out two airstrikes on northern Gaza City, according to reports circulating on social media. The strikes come amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza, which has seen repeated aerial bombardment of the territory. Details on casualties or targets were not immediately available.

Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian in Gaza and detained four farmers in the occupied West Bank, according to Middle East Eye. The incidents highlight the continuing violence in both territories, with near-daily raids and lethal fire reported despite ongoing ceasefire diplomacy.

Israeli authorities are currently imprisoning 39 Palestinian journalists, according to Palestinian media monitoring groups. Of those, 22 are being held under administrative detention, a practice that allows detention without formal charges or trial for renewable periods. Rights organisations say the figures highlight ongoing pressure on the press in the occupied Palestinian territories, while Israel maintains that its security measures are lawful and necessary.

Hamas has sharply criticised the Board of Peace for refusing to work with UNRWA in Gaza, accusing the body of aligning itself with Israel by excluding the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from humanitarian efforts in the territory. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over who will administer aid and reconstruction in Gaza, and how international bodies will be involved going forward.

Warnings are mounting that Palestinian children in Gaza are fast running out of time as the territory endures ongoing bombardment, displacement and severe shortages of food, water and medical care. Humanitarian organisations say children are dying from malnutrition and untreated injuries, and are urging an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded aid deliveries and international action to protect the civilian population, especially minors.

A new report indicates the British government has not suspended or revoked a single additional arms export licence to Israel, despite Foreign Secretary David Miliband previously stating he would refuse applications for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation of Palestinian territory. Critics say the gap between the government's stated policy and its actions raises questions about the UK's commitment to its own declared red lines on arms sales.

Reports from Palestine this week say Israeli forces sprayed foul-smelling 'skunk water' over areas of Gaza, a chemical dispersal typically used for crowd control, while carrying out further demolitions of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank. The combined actions have drawn attention to the widening range of Israeli measures across both territories and renewed criticism from observers of the occupation's impact on Palestinian civilians.