Israel ramps up West Bank raids and blocks Gaza journalist evacuations

The Palestinian Authority reported that Israeli forces increased incursions in the West Bank by more than 40% during the week of July 20‑26, conducting 446 raids compared with 315 the previous week. The surge coincided with a retaliation after a shooting in the village of Tell near Nablest, which left four Palestinian civilians and two Israeli soldiers dead. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a larger troop deployment and encouraged new settlement construction in the occupied area.

In Gaza, around 40 injured Palestinian journalists remain unable to receive medical treatment outside the enclave because Israel’s blockade limits evacuation routes. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, led by secretary‑general Ahed Farwana, demanded urgent passage, citing cases such as photojournalist Mohammed al‑Qahouji, who endured dozens of surgeries after surviving a January 2024 airstrike, and photographer Moaz al‑Salhi, whose severe Crohn’s disease treatment was interrupted by the siege. The World Health Organization estimates over 18,500 Gaza patients need urgent evacuation, but only a limited number have been allowed to leave via the partially open Rafah crossing.