One in five Palestinians killed over 20 years were children: Oxfam

ISLAMABAD: Palestinian deaths in the occupied West Bank increased sharply in the past three years, with more people killed by Israeli forces and settlers than in the previous 17 years combined, Oxfam International reported in June.

An analysis of United Nations data found 1,244 Palestinians, including 268 children, were killed between 2023 and the end of 2025. That compares with 1,036 Palestinians, including 225 children, killed between 2006 and 2022. More than one in five of those killed over the full 20-year period were children, according to the report.

"The mounting killing of civilians in the West Bank is tragic and horrifying," said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam International's Humanitarian Policy Lead. "While the eyes of the world have been on Gaza, attacks in the West Bank have been accelerating."

Forced displacement accelerated alongside the killings. Nearly 46,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced over the last three years, compared with just over 13,000 during the previous 14 years combined. Israeli military operations, settler violence, demolitions and access restrictions caused the displacement.

Movement restrictions intensified. The occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem now have 925 obstacles restricting Palestinian movement, 43% more than the annual average of 647 documented over the preceding 20 years.

The World Health Organization documented over 230 attacks on West Bank healthcare facilities in 2025, including blocked access, vandalized ambulances and harassment of medical staff.

In the first three months of 2026, more than 540 settler attacks occurred, killing 33 Palestinians and displacing over 2,200 people. More than 60 water and sanitation structures were vandalized, affecting 32 Palestinian communities.

Oxfam reported how a Palestinian man was forced from his home in Ein Samya community. "We used to deal with settlers all the time, but over the past three years, settler violence has increased massively," he said. "Eventually we had to leave and now a settler is staying in my home. I saw him. He took over the community too. It breaks my heart to talk about the past."

After relocating to Jericho, the Palestinian man said the harassment continued. "Settlers closed the roads, carried weapons, harassed and terrified our children on their way to school, and grazed their livestock inside our community," he said. "In the worst cases they would steal our livestock under the protection of the army and police."

In the report, the international organization called for an end to Israel's occupation and annexation of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. It also called on the countries to end trade and arms sales supporting the settlement enterprise.