Israel massacres in Gaza, lockdowns West Bank as attention shifts to Iran

On Thursday, Israeli troops killed astatine slightest 16 Palestinians trying desperately to get nutrient successful Gaza. On Wednesday, it was astatine slightest 29 Palestinians. The time before, at slightest 70 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces arsenic they gathered astatine a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) assistance organisation tract successful Khan Younis.

They were gunned down by drones, instrumentality weapon occurrence and tanks, according to survivors.

On Monday, at slightest 38 were killed successful a akin mode portion trying to get food, mostly successful Rafah. And connected Sunday, at slightest 17 were killed successful confederate and cardinal Gaza.

The GHF is an Israeli and United States-backed assemblage staffed by backstage information contractors. Israel acceptable it up successful May to regenerate United Nations-led alleviation operations, yet dozens of Palestinians person been gunned down connected astatine slightest 8 occasions astatine GHF sites.

“This happens to immoderate grade each day. It’s becoming a routine,” said Yasser al-Banna, a writer successful Gaza.

“Now that Israel has started a warfare with Iran, everyone present successful Gaza is frightened that the satellite is going to hide astir them,” helium told Al Jazeera.

Exploiting the headlines

Since Israel began attacking Iran connected June 13, planetary attraction connected the plight of Palestinians successful the occupied territory has faded from the headlines.

But Israel has continued to onslaught Palestinians successful Gaza, portion conducting deadly raids successful the West Bank.

After the latest onslaught connected Palestinians hopeless for food, analysts and quality rights monitors told Al Jazeera that they judge Israel is apt to perpetrate much “massacres”, portion prioritising the payment of Israelis arsenic the warfare with Iran drags on.

“Israel is utilizing the diverted attraction distant from Gaza to proceed to transportation retired atrocious crimes against starving civilians,” said Omar Rahman, an adept connected Israel and Palestine for the Middle East Council connected Global Affairs deliberation tank.

“We person besides seen a batch of subject and settler enactment successful the West Bank successful caller days,” helium told Al Jazeera.

Israel’s unit against helpless Palestinians astatine the GHF tract connected Tuesday resulted successful the highest azygous decease toll astatine immoderate GHF tract since the arguable organisation began operations past month. It has been lambasted for what opponents person called the militarisation of humanitarian assistance relief.

Yet Israel’s chokehold siege connected the enclave has pushed Palestinians to marque an intolerable choice: Whither distant from hunger oregon hazard their lives to get a nutrient parcel.

“Israel’s full GHF strategy is conscionable a mode to summation the humiliation of Palestinians,” said Ibrahim Nabeel, a Palestinian medic who has treated victims of the GHF attacks.

Palestinians who were injured by Israeli occurrence arsenic they gathered adjacent a nutrient assistance centre, person attraction astatine Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital successful the confederate Gaza Strip connected June 17, 2025. Gaza’s civilian defence bureau said, “Israeli drones fired astatine the citizens … Israeli tanks fired respective shells astatine the citizens, which led to a ample fig of martyrs and wounded” [AFP]

Lockdown and raids

Along with sustaining its genocidal warfare successful Gaza, Israel has besides tightened its concern implicit the West Bank since it began attacking Iran.

Several Palestinians told Al Jazeera that it is “impossible to move” from 1 colony oregon municipality to another.

The entrances to Palestinian villages and cities person been blocked disconnected by Israeli forces, and the fig of subject checkpoints has increased.

The lockdown has dispersed fearfulness that Palestinians whitethorn beryllium suspended from their livelihoods oregon incapable to banal up connected basal necessities successful lawsuit the Israel-Iran warfare drags on.

Many Palestinians person besides reported that determination is simply a large substance situation passim the West Bank.

“Most of our basal imports travel from Israel … and Israel is prioritising its society, not us,” said Murad Jadallah, a quality rights researcher with Al-Haq, a section organisation that advocates for Palestinian rights.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to transportation retired deadly raids crossed the West Bank. According to the Wafa Palestinian quality agency, Israeli troops stormed a colony eastbound of Ramallah connected June 18.

After storming respective homes, Israeli troops warned erstwhile detainees that they would beryllium arrested again, portion others were assaulted, according to Wafa.

Over the past week, Israel has besides expelled dozens of Palestinians from their homes erstwhile they stormed a exile campy connected the outskirts of Nablus city, Jadallah from al-Haq told Al Jazeera.

In addition, Israel arrested astatine slightest 60 Palestinians crossed the West Bank betwixt Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, Wafa reported.

“The Israelis are inactive continuing their raids. Just past night, successful fact, they came to our colony and arrested a young antheral and past destroyed his home,” said Layth Barakat, a husbandman who lives eastbound of Ramallah.

The time after

Like overmuch of the world, Palestinians were shocked erstwhile Israel attacked Iran.

They present interest that Israel volition measurement up its aggression against Palestinians crossed the occupied territory erstwhile it finishes its warfare with Iran.

“We volition wage a precocious terms if Israel wins this warfare with Iran,” Jadallah said.

“If they tin get what they privation from Iran oregon transportation retired authorities change, past who volition halt them from achieving their dreams successful Gaza and the West Bank?” helium added.

Prominent far-right ministers successful Israel’s authorities person agelong pushed for Israeli colonisation of Gaza and formally annexing the full West Bank, an country they telephone “Judea and Samaria”.

Both of these ambitions are predicated connected crushing each hopes for a Palestinian authorities and overseeing campaigns of taste cleansing.

A Palestinian inspects the harm aft an onslaught by Israeli settlers, successful Sinjil, adjacent Ramallah, successful the Israeli-occupied West Bank, April 23, 2025 [Mohammed Torokman/Reuters]

For now, Palestinians are conscionable trying to survive, adjacent arsenic their plight garners little attention.

Al-Banaa from Gaza said that astir radical are increasing hungrier each time owed to Israel’s full siege.

He said galore radical stopped buying bags of sesame, which they usually crush to marque bread.

A ample container of sesame utilized to outgo 2 shekels ($0.33) earlier the warfare successful Gaza, yet it present costs astir 80 shekels ($23).

Al-Banna noted that helium tin hardly spend a repast for himself, his 4 young children and his wife.

However, helium inactive refuses to trek miles to a GHF organisation point.

“I would alternatively dice from hunger than from getting shot,” helium said.

Rahman, from the Middle East Council, added that Israel’s warfare of aggression against Iran and its warfare connected Gaza should beryllium profoundly concerning for everyone, not conscionable Palestinians.

“It is highly worrying that Israel tin get distant with everything and thing … and support its occidental enactment base,” helium said.

“It is simply a awesome to the Israelis that determination are nary limits,” helium added. “Israel is wreaking havoc successful Palestine, the region, and connected the planetary system.”