Escalating violence in Gaza and the West Bank

Violence in the region surged on October 22 and 23, 2026, with fatalities reported in both Gaza and the West Bank. On October 22, health officials in Gaza stated that at least four Palestinians were killed in various Israeli strikes, including individuals in Gaza City and Khan Yunis, as well as a woman near the Jabalia refugee camp. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on these specific incidents.

Following this, on the morning of October 23, two Palestinians carried out a shooting attack at a junction in the southern West Bank, wounding five Israelis, two of whom remain in critical condition. Israeli soldiers engaged the attackers in a 20-minute shootout and subsequently neutralized both individuals. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the total lockdown of the West Bank and specifically the city of Hebron, citing the need to prevent a larger-scale assault.

The Israeli military has launched counter-terrorism operations, raiding homes in Hebron and other parts of the West Bank. These events occur amidst a long-standing period of heightened tension in the West Bank that has persisted since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023, with over 1,113 Palestinians reported killed in the territory since that time.