Palestine weekly: Ahead of elections, Israel doubles down on attacks

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that Israeli attacks in Gaza and the occupied West Bank intensified in the week after Israel’s parliament dissolved itself and scheduled elections for October 27. The outlet said a drone strike hit a funeral procession near Ahmad Yassin Mosque in Nuseirat refugee camp on July 17, killing at least eight people who were mourning a man killed earlier. Citing the UN human rights office, Al Jazeera said at least 57 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed between July 13 and 20, with the UN warning of possible serious violations of international humanitarian law.

The report described several deadly incidents in Gaza, including strikes on homes, tents for displaced people and a police checkpoint. It said families were killed in Deir el-Balah, Gaza City and Zeitoun, while local sources reported further displacement as Israeli-controlled positions expanded westward. Al Jazeera also cited UN humanitarian reporting that access to safe water and sanitation remains severely limited, and that restrictions on livestock feed imports are worsening food-security risks.

In the West Bank, Al Jazeera said Israeli authorities advanced settlement-related plans while issuing demolition, land-seizure and closure orders. The report cited Palestinian sources and Wafa as saying Israel approved major funding for new settlements and settler roads, destroyed water infrastructure in the northern Jordan Valley, and moved forward with road projects affecting communities including Masafer Yatta and Jaba.

The article framed the developments as part of a broader escalation ahead of Israel’s election season. It also reported settler attacks and military closures around several Palestinian towns, including Sinjil and areas near Bethlehem, underscoring how the war in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank remain closely linked in the current political moment.