Gaza attacks intensify as West Bank settler violence surges

Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza escalated sharply this week, killing dozens of Palestinians in a 48-hour span and drawing fierce condemnation from United Nations leadership, as a parallel wave of settler violence swept through the West Bank and left aid workers struggling to reach those in desperate need.

Death toll climbs in Gaza

At least 74 Palestinians were killed across Gaza in strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday alone, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Residential buildings in Jabalia and Khan Younis were among the sites hit. Hospitals, already stretched beyond capacity, reported receiving bodies faster than they could process them. It’s a situation aid workers say has no precedent even by the grim standards of the past year.

The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hamas infrastructure and weapons depots. But Palestinian civil defense teams documented multiple strikes on homes with no apparent military presence nearby.

UN and world leaders condemn the killings

UN Secretary-General António Guterres did not mince words. Speaking from New York, he called the pace of civilian casualties “utterly unacceptable” and demanded Israel immediately allow unimpeded humanitarian access throughout the territory. Senior UN officials echoed that call, warning that Gaza’s population is trapped between active bombardment and near-total aid blockade.

That blockade is getting worse. The World Food Programme said this week that only 12 trucks carrying food and medical supplies entered Gaza over a three-day window — a fraction of the 500 daily trucks the UN says are needed to prevent famine conditions from deepening.

West Bank erupts in settler attacks

And while Gaza burned, the West Bank saw its own surge of violence. Palestinian villagers in at least six communities near Nablus and Ramallah reported settler raids over the past week, with homes burned, livestock killed and residents assaulted. Three Palestinians were shot and wounded in separate incidents. Israeli security forces were largely absent during the attacks, according to witnesses.

Still, Israeli authorities made no arrests.

A spokesperson for a leading human rights organization monitoring settler activity described the pattern as deliberate. “These aren’t random outbursts,” the spokesperson said. “They’re systematic, and the lack of accountability is part of what makes them continue.”

Aid agencies race to respond

On the ground in Gaza, organizations like UNRWA and Médecins Sans Frontières are working under near-impossible conditions. Staff members have been killed. Supply routes are cut or contested. And the sheer scale of displacement — more than 1.9 million people according to UN estimates — means there’s almost nowhere left for people to go.

With ceasefire negotiations stalled and no diplomatic breakthrough visible on the horizon, aid groups warn that the coming weeks could be the deadliest yet. International pressure is mounting, but so far it hasn’t translated into any change on the ground.