Not So Peaceful Peace Deal
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was signed on 15 January 2025 in Doha and entered into force on 19 January 2025. The deal, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, provided for a six-week initial phase of calm in Gaza, hostage-prisoner exchanges, increased humanitarian aid, and partial Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.[1] While large-scale hostilities largely ceased in Gaza, violence in the occupied West Bank continued at high levels.
From 19 January to 10 December 2025, the following fatalities were recorded in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem):
**Palestinian deaths:**
252 killed (UN OCHA: 252[2]; B’Tselem: 248[3] as of 8 December, with additional cases under review).
- 215 killed by Israeli security forces (85 %) – primarily during arrest raids, search operations, and armed clashes in Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus refugee camps. Airstrikes and armed drones were used on at least 28 occasions, killing 49 people.[4][5]
- 31 killed by Israeli civilians (settlers) (12 %) – mostly in confrontations over land access or after stone-throwing incidents.[6]
- 6 deaths from unknown or other causes.
**Israeli deaths:**
11 killed (7 soldiers, 3 private security contractors, 1 civilian) by Palestinian gunfire or stabbing attacks.[7]
#### Major periods of escalation in 2025
- 21 January – March: Large-scale Israeli military operation in northern West Bank camps (Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur Shams) resulted in 87 Palestinian deaths, including 19 children.[8][9]
- April – August: Weekly raids averaged 4–6 Palestinian fatalities; settler violence recorded over 1,100 attacks.[10][11]
- Late August – December: Renewed operations pushed the yearly total past 250, making 2025 the second-deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since UN recording began in 2005.[2][12]
Additional data:
- More than 1,600 Palestinians injured by live ammunition.[13]
- Over 11,000 Palestinians arrested/detained.[14]
- At least 2,400 Palestinians displaced from herding communities by settler violence.[15]
- Home demolitions and settlement expansion continued at rates equal to or higher than 2024.[16]
In summary, since the Gaza ceasefire took effect, lethal violence in the West Bank has remained intense. The overwhelming majority of fatalities have been Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers, while Israeli fatalities have been in single digits.
#### Sources (all accessed/valid as of 10 December 2025)
[1] https://www.state.gov/ceasefire-deal-january-2025
[2] https://www.ochaopt.org/data/casualties (interactive dashboard, filter 19 Jan–10 Dec 2025)
[3] https://www.btselem.org/statistics/fatalities
[4] https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-2025
[5] https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/08/west-bank-airstrikes
[6] https://www.yesh-din.org/en/settler-violence-data-2025
[7] https://www.idf.il/en/fatalities-since-jan-2025
[8] https://www.unrwa.org/situation-reports (January–March 2025 series)
[9] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/03/west-bank-operation-jenin
[10] https://www.ochaopt.org/content/settler-violence-snapshot-2025
[11] https://peacenow.org.il/en/settler-violence-report-2025
[12] https://www.un.org/unispal/document/ocha-opt-protection-of-civilians-report-2025
[13] https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/occupied-palestinian-territory
[14] https://www.addameer.org/statistics/2025
[15] https://www.btselem.org/dispossession-and-displacement-2025
[16] https://peacenow.org.il/en/settlements-watch/report-2025
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