The humanitarian situation in the occupied West Bank has deteriorated significantly over the past year, with settler violence reaching an all-time high. Recent military operations have led to widespread destruction and loss of life. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have already been forced from their homes, entire refugee camps are being emptied, and essential infrastructure is being destroyed.

According to UN figures, since the beginning of the Israeli occupation forces’ operation in the northern West Bank on 21 January, 71 Palestinians, including seven children, and three Israeli soldiers were killed in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas governorates. The operation started in Jenin camp and then expanded to Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and El Far’a camps, displacing 40,000 Palestine refugees. 

Israeli forces’ operations in the northern West Bank have caused severe damage to water and sanitation infrastructure, disrupting access to water to tens of thousands of people and heightening public health concerns. UNRWA said forced displacement in the occupied West Bank is the result of an increasingly dangerous and coercive environment. “The use of air strikes, armored bulldozers, controlled detonations, and advanced weaponry by the Israeli Forces has become commonplace – a spillover of the war in Gaza,” the agency noted.

As the Ramadan approaches, Palestinian communities in the West Bank face unique adversities. With food scarcity and rising prices, the traditional ingredients of Ramadan are especially costly. In these challenging times, maintaining the tradition of congregating with family members and commemorating Ramadan with dignity and abundance is crucial.

Several Israeli peace and human rights organizations, among them Rabbis for Human Rights, Partnership for Peace, Movement of the Democratic Women in Israel, Ir Amim, Combatants for Peace, Mesarvot, Bnei Abraham and Jordan Valley Activists, launched last week a campaign, to support approximately 500 families across the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem by raising 125,000 NIS.

“Ramadan is a time of empathy and generosity, and we invite you to take part in this campaign—giving what you can as a way to embody these values together. At a time when so many forces are working tirelessly to destroy any path toward a shared and just future, solidarity is the stubborn hope we must hold on to,” organizers said.

Donations: Ramadan Aid