More Palestinians killed in West Bank over past three years than previous 17 combined, Oxfam says

Nation.Cymru staff

More Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank during the past three years than in the previous 17 years combined, according to new analysis by Oxfam.

The charity said data compiled from United Nations records showed that 1,244 Palestinians, including 268 children, were killed by Israeli forces or settlers between the start of 2023 and the end of 2025.

That compares with 1,036 Palestinians, including 225 children, killed between 2006 and the end of 2022.

Over the full 20-year period examined by the charity, 22% of Palestinians killed were children.

The figures come amid growing international concern over violence, displacement and restrictions on movement across the occupied West Bank, where humanitarian organisations say conditions have deteriorated significantly since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Oxfam’s analysis also found that 86 Israeli settlers, including 12 children, were killed by Palestinians between 2006 and the end of 2022. Between 2023 and the end of 2025, 43 Israeli settlers, including 10 children, were killed.

Displacement

The charity said almost 46,000 Palestinians had been forcibly displaced from their homes in the West Bank over the past three years through military operations, settler violence, demolitions and access restrictions.

That compares with just over 13,000 displaced during the previous 14 years combined.

Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam International’s humanitarian policy lead, said the escalation in violence had largely gone unnoticed internationally because of the focus on events in Gaza.

She said: “The mounting killing of civilians in the West Bank is tragic and horrifying.

“While the eyes of the world have been on Gaza, attacks in the West Bank have been accelerating.

“Since the atrocities committed by Hamas and other armed groups in 2023, Israel has committed genocide in Gaza while also enabling an unprecedented surge of violence across the West Bank.”

Oxfam said there are now 925 permanent or temporary movement obstacles across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, restricting the movement of more than three million Palestinians.

The charity said this represented a 43% increase on the average number recorded over the previous two decades.

Infrastructure damage

The report also highlighted damage to homes, agricultural infrastructure and water supplies.

According to Oxfam, more than 60 water and sanitation structures were vandalised during the first three months of 2026 alone, affecting access to water in 32 Palestinian communities.

The charity also cited World Health Organisation data showing more than 230 attacks on healthcare facilities in the West Bank last year, including obstruction of access, damage to ambulances and harassment of medical staff.

One displaced resident, identified only as Saed, described leaving his home in the Ein Samya community after what he said was a sharp increase in settler violence.

He said his family later faced further disruption after relocating to another community near Jericho.

Despite the worsening humanitarian situation, Oxfam said it continues to provide support to vulnerable communities across the West Bank, including food assistance, clean water projects and repairs to agricultural infrastructure.

The charity is calling for an end to Israel’s occupation and further annexation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and urged governments to take action in line with international law.