July 2026 was a month of contrasts for Palestine. While international negotiations raised hopes of an end to the war in Gaza, Israeli bombardments did not cease. In the West Bank, colonization and settler violence continued to intensify. And behind the diplomatic announcements, one reality remains: millions of Palestinians still live displaced, deprived of security, and facing a major humanitarian crisis.
Gaza: A ceasefire that does not stop the deaths
At the beginning of the month, Gaza entered its 1,000th day of war. According to Palestinian health authorities cited by Associated Press, more than 73,000 Palestinians had already been killed since the beginning of the war, while over two million people remained displaced.
The paradox of July is particularly brutal: while a ceasefire has officially been in effect since October 2025, Israeli strikes and shelling continue almost daily. Over the course of the month, the number of Palestinians killed since the truce came into effect exceeded 1,200 deaths, according to Gaza health authorities cited by Reuters.
On July 7, at least seven Palestinians, including a child, were killed by Israeli strikes and shelling. On July 12, a nine-year-old girl, Tala Abu Matar, was killed by gunfire near a tent camp in Al-Bureij, according to Palestinian health authorities reported by Reuters.
On July 21, an entire family was decimated in Gaza City. An Israeli strike killed Firas Al-Masri, his wife Salsabeel, and their four children. Reuters reported that their home was set on fire during the attack.
An intensification of attacks in the middle of the month
The situation further deteriorated in the second half of July. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights indicated that, from July 13 to 20 alone, at least 57 Palestinians, including six children and eight women, had been killed by the Israeli army.
The UN also highlighted that the attacks hit residential buildings, densely populated areas, and at least one tent sheltering displaced persons. For the United Nations, nine months after the ceasefire announcement, "nowhere" in Gaza can still be considered safe.
A deepening humanitarian crisis
The bombings are only part of the catastrophe. In its July 23 report, OCHA warned of the deterioration of many essential services. Sexual and reproductive health, in particular, became extremely concerning: nearly 4,000 miscarriages were recorded during the first half of 2026, while more than 57% of pregnant women were anemic.
Reconstruction is also a titanic task. Nearly 60 million tons of rubble have been generated since October 2023. By the end of July, only about 630,000 tons had been removed from roads and essential infrastructure, according to OCHA.
Access to aid also remains extremely difficult. The population is largely displaced and confined to a small part of the territory, while movement restrictions, fuel shortages, and delivery difficulties complicate the work of humanitarian organizations.
July also marks a political turning point for Hamas
On the political front, July saw an important development. Hamas announced in early July the dissolution of its emergency governmental committee in Gaza and proposed transferring the administration of the territory to a Palestinian committee composed of technocrats.
This announcement comes within the framework of international discussions on the post-war period. But it does not mean that negotiations are settled. Israel continues to demand the complete disarmament of Hamas before any withdrawal, while the Palestinian movement refuses to lay down its arms without guarantees on the end of the occupation and military operations.
The question of who will govern Gaza after the war therefore remains open. Behind the diplomatic discussions lies above all a fundamental question: how to rebuild a territory where a large part of the population has been displaced and whose infrastructure has been massively destroyed?
The West Bank: Colonization accelerates further
While international attention remains largely focused on Gaza, the situation in the West Bank has also deteriorated considerably.
On July 14, the Israeli government approved a package of 1.3 billion shekels, or approximately 434 million dollars, intended to establish 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. According to Reuters, this decision brings the number of settlements whose creation was initiated under Bezalel Smotrich's mandate to 103.
Approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank, among approximately 2.7 million Palestinians. The vast majority of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the occupied territories to be contrary to international law.
The decision to accelerate colonization while discussions on the creation of a Palestinian state remain open is far from insignificant. Smotrich himself presented this policy as a means of strengthening Israeli control and preventing the creation of a Palestinian state.
Settler violence: a particularly deadly month
Settler violence also reached a new level. On July 29, the UN Human Rights Office indicated that 18 Palestinians had been killed in incidents related to settler attacks since the beginning of the year, compared to 17 for the whole of 2025.
The phenomenon is not limited to direct victims. Palestinian villages face fires, house destructions, assaults, livestock theft, and restrictions on access to agricultural land.
In some communities, residents have begun to organize night patrols to try to protect their homes. In Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the Associated Press documented these groups of Palestinians keeping watch at night against settler attacks.
Ongoing forced displacement
OCHA estimates that over 3,200 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank since the beginning of 2026 due to settler attacks and demolitions linked to the lack of building permits issued by Israel.
The organization also highlights that settler attacks accounted for 55% of all Palestinian injuries recorded in the West Bank in 2026. On July 23, OCHA also announced that a new Palestinian community, Jabal al-Aqra', had become the 47th community fully displaced since January 2023 following repeated settler attacks and access restrictions.
Mosques burned and growing tension
The end of the month was marked by a new flare-up of violence in the northern West Bank. On the night of July 25-26, two mosques were burned in what was described as an attack by Israeli settlers.
At the same time, four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes in and around the village of Tell, near Nablus. The Israeli army then imposed restrictions and carried out arrests in several localities in the region.
For residents, July will therefore have been a month of increasing pressure: more settlements, more violence, and more restrictions, even as the international community officially continues to advocate for the prospect of a Palestinian state.
A month of July between diplomacy and ground reality
The month finally ended with a new diplomatic attempt. US President Donald Trump announced on July 31 an agreement in principle notably concerning the disarmament of Hamas, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the establishment of a civilian administration for Gaza.
But this announcement immediately appeared fragile. Hamas set its own conditions and Israeli authorities continued to insist on the need for complete disarmament before any withdrawal. Reuters reported that, hours after the American announcement, Israeli strikes had again killed at least one person in Gaza.
The contrast alone summarizes the month of July: in Washington and international capitals, there is talk of reconstruction, disarmament, and peace. In Gaza, families continue to count their dead. In the West Bank, villages see their land encroached upon by settlements and their inhabitants displaced.
The question is therefore no longer just whether a new truce can be negotiated. It is whether the international community will finally agree to concretely enforce international law and guarantee Palestinians the necessary conditions for a free, dignified, and safe life.
How to help Palestine?
Solidarity can also involve simple gestures to keep Palestine visible and keep its culture alive.
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