Violence continues in Gaza, West Bank amid ongoing Israeli raids and settler attacks

Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank continue to face hardship as Israeli military actions and settler attacks escalate, raising concerns over the stability of the ceasefire brokered in October. Civilians in Gaza are enduring harsh winter conditions, with authorities struggling to recover bodies from the rubble due to limited equipment, while Israeli restrictions have further constrained humanitarian aid.

Since the start of the ceasefire, the Israeli army has reportedly killed at least 391 Palestinians. Al Jazeera reported that in Gaza, Israeli forces continue to demolish civilian buildings in areas they occupy, including in the Shujayea and Tuffah neighbourhoods, a move critics warn could constitute a war crime. The International Criminal Court (ICC) recently rejected one of Israel’s legal challenges seeking to block an investigation into its actions during the conflict.

The New Arab said that the Hamas condemned the killing of its senior commander Raed Saad in a targeted Israeli airstrike, describing it as another violation jeopardising the ceasefire. Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank’s Tulkarem region said the Israeli military plans to demolish 25 residential buildings in the Nur Shams refugee camp on 18 December. Dozens of Israeli settlers have also attacked Palestinian communities and religious sites in the West Bank.

On Monday, Israeli forces carried out raids across several towns and villages, including Turmus Qyya, Kadr Malik north of Ramallah, and the city of Al-Bireh, firing live rounds and tear gas, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. A child was injured during a raid on the Jalazone refugee camp, while incursions were also reported in Husan, west of Bethlehem.

Settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem under Israeli police protection, as well as religious sites in Awarta, south of Nablus. The attacks come amid ongoing calls by extremist groups for the destruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, to build a Jewish temple. Settlers also reportedly fired on homes in the village of Khan al-Ahmar.

Violence has continued in Gaza, with reports of airstrikes on eastern Gaza City, shelling in Bureij refugee camp, and artillery targeting Khan Younis, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Much of Gaza’s infrastructure has been heavily damaged, with Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defence, stating that 90 per cent of buildings in Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood are at risk of collapse.

The recent airstrike targeting Raed Saad has prompted warnings from Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya that continued Israeli attacks threaten the fragile ceasefire. Negotiators have been working to implement the second phase of the ceasefire, which includes the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to Gaza. A US-hosted conference in Doha on Tuesday is expected to discuss the force’s planned deployment, which is part of the ceasefire deal that also envisions establishing a governing administration in the territory to replace Hamas.

The ongoing military operations and settler attacks have left Palestinians facing a precarious humanitarian situation, highlighting the fragility of the ceasefire and the urgent need for international engagement to prevent further escalation.