Israel prepares to mark October 7

Palestinians have reported an increase in drone usage by Israeli settlers and the army in the occupied West Bank. According to France 24, these drones are used to intimidate, monitor, and make daily life difficult for Palestinians. The Israeli government supplies drones directly to settlers.

In a separate development, Israel will impose a general closure on the West Bank and close crossings into the Gaza Strip on October 5 and 7, as per an announcement by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), as reported by the Jerusalem Post. The closure is in connection with commemorations marking the October 7 massacre. During this time, passage through crossings will only be permitted in humanitarian, medical, and exceptional cases, subject to COGAT approval.

There have also been reports of violence in the region, with two Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, as reported by Middle East Eye. One of the victims, 41-year-old Raafat Khairi Ahmed Abu Khalil, was killed by Israeli soldiers at the Anab checkpoint east of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank. The other Palestinian was killed in Israeli shelling northwest of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Jerusalem Post, Middle East Eye — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.