The Israeli military initiated operations this week in the Tubas governorate in the northern West Bank, prompting a statement from the humanitarian organization Save the Children that Palestinian communities are facing significant movement restrictions. The operations, which began Wednesday, have also taken place in other cities, including Jenin.
In a statement issued Friday, Save the Children reported that families in the northern West Bank have been sheltering inside their homes. The organization said the situation was “keeping children out of school, jeopardising family incomes and increasing risk of physical violence and child detention from the Israeli military.”
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, dozens of people have been injured in the Tubas area since the operations began, and more than 160 others have been detained. The Israeli military has stated that such operations are intended to counter Palestinian armed groups. Local residents have reported that the military has damaged infrastructure and blocked access for journalists and ambulances.
An official working with a partner organization of Save the Children in the West Bank, identified as Ameer, described the actions as “a systematic assault by Israeli forces and a continuation of the Israeli government’s collective punishment policy.” He stated, “The operation is cutting off children from the key services and supplies they rely on and need, including education and health services.”
The events in the northern West Bank occur amid a period of increased fatalities and displacement in the territory. The United Nations has reported that since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank. The U.N. also stated that since January, approximately 32,000 residents of several refugee camps in the region have been displaced from their homes.
Separately, in the Gaza Strip, a truce that came into effect last month remains in place. On Friday, Israeli strikes were reported near Khan Younis and Rafah. According to a local medical report, a Palestinian was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that 347 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave since the truce began on October 10.
Ismail al-Thawabta, director of Gaza’s Government Media Office, said Friday that his office had documented 535 Israeli violations of the truce agreement. In a statement, al-Thawabta also addressed the flow of humanitarian aid, asserting that it remains below the levels established in the truce.
“The [Israeli] occupation has allowed only 9,930 trucks to enter Gaza out of the nearly 28,000 requested – a mere 35 percent – thus turning aid into a tool of war used for pressure rather than a legal or humanitarian obligation,” he said.
