Situation worsens in occupied West Bank: World Food Programme cuts aid, settlers escalate attacks

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced a reduction in the number of food aid beneficiaries in the West Bank to half their previous number, due to a funding crisis facing the agency.

Sean Hughes, the WFP’s country director for Palestine, speaking remotely from London during a press conference in Geneva yesterday, stated that approximately 900,000 people in the West Bank suffer from food insecurity. He noted that the number of beneficiaries had reached 400,000 of the most vulnerable individuals, but would be cut to 200,000 starting this month.

He added that the escalation of settler violence and displacement have contributed to disrupting livelihoods and deepening the hunger crisis. According to a quarterly food security analysis conducted by the WFP, 76% of households in the West Bank have experienced a significant decline in income. Hughes pointed out that food and fuel prices in the West Bank have become among the highest in the Middle East region, forcing many families to sell their assets and reduce the number, quantity, and quality of their meals in order to survive.

Hughes said, “At a time when the World Food Programme should be increasing its assistance to reach more people, we find ourselves forced to make difficult decisions by prioritizing the most vulnerable,” calling on the international community to take urgent action and increase its support for Palestinians.

He added that the funding shortfall has also affected the WFP’s operations in Gaza, where it supports 1.5 million people, including one million receiving monthly food aid. The program was forced to cut cash assistance by 40% for 375,000 people last July, and Hughes warned that further cuts would be necessary if essential funding is not provided.

Meanwhile, Israeli settlers attempted to burn a mosque in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf (Endowments). The ministry stated that “a group of settlers attempted to set fire to parts of the Nur al-Din al-Zenki Mosque” in the village of Bazzariya, northwest of Nablus, and “sprayed racist anti-Semitic slogans on its walls,” describing the incident as a “criminal assault.” Video clips and photos taken by a France Press journalist showed Palestinians inspecting damage to a room below the mosque, with Hebrew writings visible on its exterior walls.

In a related development, Israeli settlers began earth-moving operations in the center of Hebron in the southern West Bank, a move that the city’s mayor described as a precursor to establishing a “new settlement outpost.” Video footage showed a bulldozer clearing a plot of land on Al-Shallala Street on the outskirts of Hebron’s old town, with several Israeli settlers and soldiers from the Israeli army nearby. The clips showed soldiers detaining a Palestinian youth near the site, binding his hands with a plastic tie, and forcing him to sit on the ground.