November 16, 2025: Continued Strikes in Gaza, Lebanon; Flooding in Gaza; Settlers Torch Mosque in Salfit, West Bank

This week was marked by continued Israeli military activity in Gaza amid the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a looming humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and a spike in violence in the occupied West Bank as settlers torched a mosque in Salfit.

Despite the ceasefire deal, conditions in Gaza have been extremely difficult for Palestinians trying to live their lives after nearly two years of displacement, destruction, and hunger. Humanitarian aid remains a major challenge. Despite significant progress since the ceasefire with aid and clothing distribution, hospital recovery and immunization, Tom Fletcher, the United Nations’ under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said on Monday that “many obstacles remain” that hinder the flow of aid into the Strip. Fletcher cited constraints such as “red tape” and some restrictions still in place on entering Gaza.

On Friday, displaced Palestinians in Gaza woke up to find their tents flooded with water after a night of heavy rain. According to Gazan Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal, “Entire shelter centers have seen water levels rise to more than 10 centimeters.” The water completely soaked the belongings and mattresses of the Palestinians sheltering in these tents. Gaza lacks the infrastructure to properly prevent flood damage, and currently, over 1.4 million Gazans are in need of emergency shelter items. Israel has only allowed a fraction of the shelter aid to enter Gaza, and, according to the UN secretary-general’s spokesperson, “millions” of shelter items are sitting in Jordan, Egypt and Israel, pending approval to enter Gaza.

In addition to the humanitarian crisis, Israel has continued its military activity in Gaza, despite the ceasefire. This week, the activity has largely occurred inside the Yellow Line, which demarcates the territory controlled by Israel as per the agreement. The war “has not ended,” as Prime Minister Netanyahu put it on Monday. Today, Israeli strikes near Khan Yunis killed three Palestinians.

Israel also launched strikes in Lebanon this week against Hezbollah targets, the militant group in Lebanon that Israel claims is attempting to rebuild its military capabilities, which Israel has significantly degraded over the last two years. On Thursday, the IDF’s warplanes attacked underground infrastructure in southern Lebanon that it called a Hezbollah “weapons depot.” There is currently a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in effect since November of 2024, yet Israel has intensified strikes recently, accusing Hezbollah of attempting to rebuild.

Finally, Palestinians in the West Bank were again reminded of escalating settler violence as settlers torched and defaced a mosque on Thursday in Salfit. Parts of the mosque, called the Hajjah Hamidah Mosque, were set on fire by the settlers, who also sprayed it with graffiti messages, including “Mohammed is a pig” in Hebrew. The IDF said it dispatched forces to the scene to “review the incident and conduct scans.” This event is part of a larger trend of unchecked settler attacks on Palestinian houses, villages and farms in the West Bank.

In summary, the ceasefire in Gaza is holding, although Palestinians still face an overwhelming humanitarian crisis. Israeli strikes in both Gaza and Lebanon are ongoing, and the West Bank remains plagued with violence from settlers.