At Least Three Killed in Gaza as Settler Attacks Escalate in Occupied West Bank

Three people killed in Gaza; dozens of settler attacks in West Bank

Israeli forces killed at least three people in Gaza in the past 24 hours, Palestinian authorities said, while masked Israeli settlers carried out violent attacks on Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank, wounding four people.

Bodies transferred to al-Shifa as identification efforts continue

Gaza’s Ministry of Health confirmed the recent deaths on Tuesday. The enclave’s Civil Defence agency said on Telegram that it had transferred the bodies of 35 unidentified Palestinians to al-Shifa Hospital, where medical teams will attempt to establish their identities.

The official Gaza death toll from the campaign has surpassed 69,000: at least 69,182 Palestinians killed and 170,694 wounded since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities. Israeli forces have reportedly killed at least 245 Palestinians since the US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10. In Israel, 1,139 people were killed in the October 7, 2023 attacks and roughly 200 people remain listed as taken captive.

“Thousands of missing people’s bodies are still believed to be buried under rubble across Gaza,” an Al Jazeera report noted, highlighting the continuing search for remains and the major challenges facing forensic teams.

Forensic challenges and family searches

Families continue to visit hospitals, morgues and identification rooms seeking closure, attempting to recognise remains through personal items, scars or fragments. Forensic experts have reported severe obstacles, including body decomposition and limited DNA-testing capacity, which prolong uncertainty for many relatives.

Ceasefire violations and aid access

Gaza’s Government Media Office reported that Israel violated the ceasefire at least 282 times between October 10 and November 10 through airstrikes, artillery and direct shootings. An Al Jazeera analysis indicated attacks occurred on 25 of the 31 days since the ceasefire began.

Despite continued incidents, US officials say the ceasefire is still holding. The ceasefire agreement stipulated that "full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip," but humanitarian agencies report major obstacles to deliveries.

UNICEF has accused Israeli authorities of blocking essential items, including 1.6 million syringes needed for childhood vaccinations and nearly one million bottles of baby formula. UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said the syringes and refrigeration equipment are being treated as "dual-use" items by Israeli authorities, complicating clearances and inspections. UNICEF said the blockage has prevented efforts to immunise more than 40,000 children who missed routine vaccines, and that the syringes have been awaiting customs clearance since August.

Aid groups warn that supplies remain insufficient for Gaza’s largely displaced and malnourished population of about two million people. From October 10 to November 9, just 3,451 trucks reached their intended destinations in Gaza, according to the UN "2720" Monitoring and Tracking Dashboard.

Power, infrastructure and daily life

Many Palestinians in Gaza continue to live without electricity, relying on flashlights and spending nights in darkness after more than 80 percent of the territory’s electricity networks were destroyed. Mohammed Thabet, an official with Gaza’s electricity company, said: "For the past two years, no electricity has reached the Gaza Strip. The amount of electricity reaching Gaza is zero."

Escalation of settler violence in the West Bank

Separately, dozens of masked settlers attacked the Palestinian villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to vehicles, dairy trucks, farmland, tin shacks and tents belonging to a Bedouin community. Four Palestinians were wounded in the incidents. Palestinian official Muayyad Shaaban said the assaults were part of a campaign to drive Palestinians from their land and accused Israeli authorities of providing settlers with protection and impunity.

Israeli police said four Israelis were arrested over what they described as "extremist violence." A video verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking unit, Sanad, shows multiple vehicles burning as Palestinians attempt to extinguish the flames. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the attacks "shocking and serious" and said such violence "crosses a red line." Reportedly, settlers also attacked Israeli soldiers on the same day and damaged a military vehicle.

Wider patterns and rights-group reporting

The Palestinian Authority’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CRRC) reported that Israeli forces and settlers carried out 2,350 incidents across the occupied West Bank last month. CRRC head Mu’ayyad Sha’ban said 1,584 of those actions were carried out by Israeli forces and included direct physical assaults, home demolitions and the uprooting of olive trees, with most incidents concentrated in Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron.

Israeli rights group B’Tselem reported that settlers attack Palestinians "daily," citing shootings, beatings, threats, stone-throwing, torching fields, destroying trees and crops, stealing produce, blocking roads, invading homes and burning cars. The group and other local observers say accountability for settler attacks is limited and that some incidents occur in the presence of Israeli forces.

Sources and notes

This article summarises recent reports from Gaza health authorities, UNICEF, Al Jazeera reporting and monitoring dashboards, the Palestinian Authority’s CRRC, Israeli police statements and human rights organisations. Where possible, direct quotes and figures are attributed to the reporting organisations named above.