Israel continued to indiscriminately kill Palestinians in Gaza at an unprecedented rate in November. At least 6,475 Palestinians were killed during this month, bringing the comprehensive death toll since 7 October to at least 15,000, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women. At least 13,457 people were wounded, bringing the injury toll to more than 35,000 wounded. Additionally, 7,000 people were missing and presumed dead or abducted to Israel. At least 80 percent of the population in Gaza have been displaced and 60 percent of housing units have been damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation was so dire that the World Food Programme on 26 November warned that Gaza was on the brink of famine. Based on interviews with 7 members of the Israeli intelligence community, +972 Magazine and Local Call explained why the Palestinian civilian casualty figures were so high: Israel has intensified its targeting of high-rise blocks and infrastructure to create a shock effect among civilians, it has increased the allowed “collateral damage” figures from dozens to hundreds for a single target, and it has ended its “roof knocking” policy when targeting residential buildings.
Israel divided Gaza into two parts, north and south, between Nuseirat refugee camp and Gaza City. It then proceeded to systematically attack and destroy hospitals. On 5 November the Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari ordered Palestinians in the northern part to flee to the south of Gaza City, while Palestinians were prohibited from moving north. The order for Palestinians to flee south was first made on 13 October, before the Israeli land invasion. Israel did not publicly state the reason for depopulating the north but there were calls among Israeli ministers and members of the Knesset for the resettlement of Gaza and for punishing Palestinians by taking more of their land. The line bisecting Gaza will later be known as the Netzarim Corridor, named after the former Israeli settlement in the area, and developed into a large Israeli military base on what was Palestinian homes and farmland. The UN estimated on 13 November that 200,000 Palestinians had fled south.
Israel also systematically targeted the Gaza health sector, which it attempted to justify to the international community by making false claims connecting hospitals to Hamas military infrastructure. The best example of this practice is the destruction of al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, which unfolded this month. On 27 October, the Israeli military shared an animated video on social media purporting to show a vast Hamas command center underneath al-Shifa Hospital, on the basis of which the hospital could not claim it had protected status. Between 3 and 25 November, Israeli forces laid siege to the hospital and began shelling it, killing many who had sought refuge on the hospital grounds. By the time the Israeli forces retreated, the hospital had been rendered unusable by fires the soldiers started and from shelling. A few days after the invasion of the hospital Israel brought some journalists on a tour of parts of the hospital where a BBC reporter found that Israel appeared to have planted evidence of weaponry stored behind an MRI machine. By 16 November only 9 of Gaza’s 35 hospitals were partially functioning while the rest were out of service due to Israeli attacks. The World Health Organization said on 30 November that Israel had attacked health facilities 203 times in Gaza since 7 October, leading to 560 fatalities and 718 injuries.
After a month and a half of relentless attacks on Gaza, Palestinians had a short period of calm by the end of the month as Hamas and Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire. The ceasefire, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, was announced on 22 November, implemented on 24 November, and lasted until 30 November. During the ceasefire, 240 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons, 107 of whom were children and 75 percent of whom were not convicted of any crime; 105 captives were released from Gaza, including children, women, and 24 foreign workers from Thailand and the Philippines. The Palestinian Prisoners Society pointed out that more Palestinians were arrested during the ceasefire period than had been released. Additionally, Israel had arrested at least 3,000 Palestinians between 7 October and the beginning of the ceasefire.
In parallel with the record high death toll in Gaza, Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed at a rate not seen since UNOCHA began recording casualties in 2005. In November 117 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and settlers, bringing the death toll since 7 October to 242, including 63 children. At least 35 were killed during one of the 10 airstrikes Israel conducted in the West Bank during this month. Israel began using drone strikes in the West Bank for the first time since the Second Intifada in June this year, but the frequency has increased since 7 October.
Settler violence has also been rising since 7 October. Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir handed out weapons to settlers and reportedly ordered Israeli police not to deal with settler violence. UNOCHA said that by 9 November 1,014 Palestinians had been displaced from their homes due to settler violence while 220 were displaced when Israel demolished their homes. The Shin Bet said on 13 November that it had recorded 120 instances of hate crimes against Palestinians; no one had been charged for the violence.
The situation for Palestinians in Israeli prisons has also worsened since 7 October. National Security Minister Ben-Gvir visited a prison facility gloating that the Palestinian prisoners were handcuffed in dark cells with iron beds and the Israeli national anthem constantly playing in the background. The Commission of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs said Israel was not allowing doctors to visit sick prisoners, the quality of the food had deteriorated, prisoners were denied yard access, their personal belongings were confiscated, electricity was cut from cells 12 hours a day, and lawyer visits were not allowed. By the end of the month at least six Palestinians had died in Israeli prisons.