Escalation in Gaza and West Bank Claims 18 Lives Amidst Peace Efforts and Worship Restrictions

At least 18 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank over the past week, as Israeli military actions and settler violence escalate. This surge in fatalities comes amidst renewed efforts for a Hamas disarmament framework and growing international concern over access to holy sites.

Escalating Violence Claims Lives in Gaza and West Bank

The majority of the deceased were victims of Israeli air strikes in Gaza. Concurrently, three individuals in the West Bank were killed by a combination of Israeli settler and army shootings, marking a significant increase in violence in the Palestinian territory.

These events unfold as the head of the US President Donald Trump-appointed Board of Peace actively promotes a framework aimed at disarming Hamas in the Gaza Strip, highlighting a complex and often contradictory landscape of conflict and attempted de-escalation.

Restrictions on Worship Spark International Condemnation

Israel has continued to restrict worship at Palestinian holy sites, citing threats of Iranian attacks. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound has been closed to Muslim worshippers since late February, with the state of emergency extended until mid-April.

In an unprecedented move, Israeli forces on Sunday prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday mass. This act, the first in centuries, drew global backlash and soft criticism from US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to promise a plan for church leaders' access in the coming days.

Gaza Peace Plan Falters Amid Renewed Strikes and Humanitarian Crisis

The past week in Gaza saw a surge in Israeli air strikes and artillery fire, frequently targeting police forces in what Israeli officials describe as an effort to degrade Hamas's control. Aid workers and UN officials, however, warn that these actions risk creating dangerous vacuums in public order and civilian services in the devastated Strip.

Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, detailed a framework for disarming Hamas, based on "the principle of one authority, one law and one weapon," over an eight-month timeline. Despite this, the prospect of reaching the plan's second stage, which would allow for reconstruction, appears remote.

Deadly attacks this week included a March 25 drone strike in Nuseirat camp killing two Palestinians, March 28 strikes on police checkpoints killing six, another strike the same day killing three, and a March 30 attack in Gaza City killing two. Since the October "ceasefire," at least 705 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian state news agency Wafa.

Humanitarian conditions continue to worsen due to heavily restricted aid and severe weather, which has flooded the tents of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. The Ministry of Health warned of an imminent halt to medical services due to fuel and parts shortages for hospital generators, exemplified by the death of infant Alma Abu Rida from acute pneumonia while awaiting medical evacuation.

Olley News Insight: The simultaneous escalation of military action and settler violence alongside diplomatic efforts for disarmament highlights the complex, often contradictory, realities on the ground. Restrictions on religious freedom further inflame tensions and draw international condemnation, complicating any path to de-escalation.

West Bank Sees Continued Settler and Military Violence

Violent attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have persisted, leading to at least five deaths in the past week. Yusri Abu Qbeita, 31, was killed on March 25 in Masafer Yatta after his vehicle was shot at by Israeli forces and settlers. On March 26, Mohammed al-Malahi, from East Jerusalem, was shot dead by settlers on his family's land in Bethlehem, following attempts to rebuild an illegal outpost.

Further fatalities occurred in Qalandiya, where 22-year-old Mustafa Hamed was killed by Israeli forces at the refugee camp's entrance on March 26, followed by the shooting death of Sufian Abu Layl, 46, in another raid the next day. Fifteen-year-old Adham Dahman was killed by soldiers during a raid on the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem that same evening.

Beyond the killings, the week was marked by a relentless stream of settler attacks on shepherds, farmers, and villagers, including a severe beating of elderly Abdallah Ghouri in Umm al-Khair, who was left bleeding for hours after settlers opened fire on residents. These attacks have ramped up as the joint US and Israeli war on Iran escalates, with evidence suggesting Israeli army facilitation of the violence.

The UN's OCHA reported that 1,697 Palestinians in the West Bank were displaced by settler violence and access restrictions in the first three months of 2026 alone, surpassing the total for all of 2025. Israeli human rights group Yesh Din records over 10 settler attacks per day since the war on Iran began. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefly addressed the violence with mild concern, while critics noted his remarks lacked concrete demands for action.

In a rare instance of government action, Israel's Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir suspended the operational activity of the Reserve 941st Battalion after its members violently attacked a CNN camera crew near Tayasir.

Jerusalem Evictions and Legislative Changes Alarm Rights Groups

Israeli authorities forcibly evicted at least 15 Palestinian families, approximately 70 residents, from the Batn al-Hawa neighbourhood of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem on March 25, marking one of the largest single evictions in recent years. This was followed by the demolition of four Palestinian homes in the al-Bustan neighbourhood, leaving 20 people homeless. B'Tselem reports that approximately 2,200 people in Silwan now face the imminent threat of forced displacement.

These evictions coincided with legislative actions by Israeli politicians aimed at curtailing Palestinians' legal rights and boosting financial support for settlers. The Knesset approved its 2026 budget, allotting a record $45.8 billion to the Ministry of Defence and an additional $129.5 million to the Settlements and National Missions Ministry.

Additionally, the Knesset passed a controversial bill imposing the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of "terrorism," which would empower military courts in the occupied West Bank to hand down sentences without prosecutorial request or judicial unanimity. UN experts warned this bill "would violate the right to life and discriminate against Palestinians," as Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and supporters were seen wearing noose-shaped lapel pins in support of the measure.

Further reports indicated an Israeli government allocation of an additional 50 million shekels ($16 million) for security equipment at illegal settlement outposts, including ATVs, night vision goggles, and drones. According to Peace Now, at least 191 illegal outposts have been established under the current government, with many being shepherding outposts used to assert control over large areas of West Bank land.

Key Takeaways

  • At least 18 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and the West Bank in the last week due to Israeli air strikes and settler/army shootings.
  • Restrictions on worship escalated, with the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound closed and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem barred from Palm Sunday mass.
  • Efforts by the US-appointed Board of Peace to establish a Hamas disarmament framework in Gaza are overshadowed by renewed Israeli air strikes and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
  • The West Bank saw five Palestinian deaths and a relentless stream of settler attacks, leading to significant displacement.
  • In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities forcibly evicted 15 families and demolished homes, displacing nearly 100 people.
  • The Knesset approved a substantial defense budget, increased settlement funding, and passed a controversial death penalty bill for Palestinians convicted of "terrorism."