2022 likely to become the "deadliest year" for Palestinians in the West Bank

Annachiara Canetta

Middle East and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence 

2022 is likely to mark the highest death toll for Palestinians in the West Bank, since the UN started to count fatalities in 2005. [1] The latest Protection of Civilians Report by OCHA (the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), covering 11-24 October, reported that the monthly average of Palestinians killed by Israeli settlers or forces is the highest in the past 17 years. [2]

Moreover, October 2022 represents the highest death toll in the West Bank since May 2021, when protests expanded in the whole country against Sheikh Jarrah evictions, attacks on Al-Aqsa and bombardments of Gaza. [3] According to OCHA, at least 29 Palestinians lost their lives to Israeli force in October, at least 623 were injured, while only one Israeli soldier lost his life during the same time period. [4] According to Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP), at least 28 Palestinian children have been shot and lost their life in 2022. [5]

These data show an increase in violence as compared to the beginning of the year, most likely related to Israel’s attempt of taming the emergence of new Palestinian armed groups in Jenin and Nablus. [6] Last week’s election results do not predict any sign of improvement for Palestinians: with the probable return of Netanyahu as Prime Minister, and the success of the Jewish Strength Party (Otzma Yehudit, supporting ultra-nationalist and anti-Arab positions), the violence might escalate even further. [7]

Sources and further reading:

[1] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Occupied Palestinian territory. (2022). Protection of Civilians Report | 11-24 October 2022. OCHA. https://www.ochaopt.org/sites/default/files/poc_11-24_October_2022.pdf

[2] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Occupied Palestinian territory. (2022). Protection of Civilians Report | 11-24 October 2022. OCHA. https://www.ochaopt.org/sites/default/files/poc_11-24_October_2022.pdf

[3] Fayyad, H. (2022, November 1). West Bank: October was deadliest month in “deadliest year” for Palestinians. Middle East Eye. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-west-bank-october-deadliest-month-year-palestinians

[4] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Occupied Palestinian territory. (2022). Protection of Civilians Report | 11-24 October 2022. OCHA. https://www.ochaopt.org/sites/default/files/poc_11-24_October_2022.pdf

[5] Defense for Children Palestine. (2022, October 13). Israeli forces shoot, kill 17-year-old Palestinian boy near Hebron. Defense for Children Palestine. https://www.dci- palestine.org/israeli_forces_shoot_kill_17_year_old_palestinian_boy_near_hebron

[6] Fayyad, H. (2022, November 1). West Bank: October was deadliest month in “deadliest

 year” for Palestinians. Middle East Eye. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-west-bank-october-deadliest-month-year-palestinians

[7] For more information on the recent elections, check out Netanyahu Is Back, What This Means For Palestinians by Vivien Fakhoury on GHRTV - https://ghrtv.org/netanyahu-is-back-what-this-means-for-palestinians