Palestine weekly: Ahead of elections, Israel doubles down on attacks

What Happened

Between July 13 and 20, Israeli military operations across Gaza resulted in at least 57 Palestinian deaths, according to the UN human rights office. Notable incidents included a July 17 drone strike on a funeral procession at the Ahmad Yassin Mosque in Nuseirat, which killed eight people, and a July 18 airstrike in Gaza City’s Nassr neighbourhood that killed Adham Nasman and his family. Israel claimed Nasman was a Hamas commander. Additionally, Israeli forces advanced tanks toward Dawla Junction in Zeitoun and continued strikes on al-Mawasi, while Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that destruction in northern Gaza is the result of deliberate policy and discussed potential military-style settlement outposts. In the West Bank, the Israeli security cabinet approved 1.3 billion shekels for 34 new settlements and 1.075 billion shekels for settler road infrastructure, while Israeli forces and settlers destroyed water infrastructure near Atuf.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The intensification of military operations in Gaza and the formal approval of significant settlement expansion in the West Bank occur as Israel enters an election cycle, suggesting a hardening of territorial and security policies. The destruction of critical water infrastructure in the Jordan Valley and the expansion of the 'Yellow Line' in Gaza further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and complicate the prospects for future governance or ceasefire stability.

Watch For

Monitor the October 27 Israeli elections and any subsequent shifts in settlement policy. Additionally, observe the status of the 'Crimson Thread' barrier project in the West Bank and the potential die-off of livestock in Gaza in August due to the ongoing blockade of feed imports.