West Bank on the brink

Al-Ahram Weekly

28-01-2025

Fears are growing that the West Bank could face the same fate as Gaza in the face of growing Israeli aggression and the silence of the international community
Many Palestinians believe that the ceasefire in Gaza will have far-reaching implications for the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Israel's extreme-right government, which failed to achieve its declared objectives in Gaza following the outbreak of the war on Gaza on 7 October 2023, is now seeking a new semblance of victory. The West Bank, particularly its northern regions, appears to be fertile ground for this pursuit.
The recent Israeli military operation in Jenin, dubbed 'Iron Wall,' exemplifies this effort. Israel launched a broad assault targeting all aspects of life in the city of Jenin and in the Jenin Refugee Camp, with scenes of displacement mirroring the devastation seen during the Gaza offensive.
The Israeli forces even targeted public hospitals in a bid to secure a victory in Jenin that had eluded them in Gaza.
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the operation's goal was to 'eradicate terrorism and bolster security in the West Bank.' Israel was acting against what he described as 'the Iranian axis' and its extensions in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and the West Bank, he said.
Palestinian Authority (PA) officials view Israel's actions in the West Bank as an attempt to claim victory following its defeat in Gaza because they aim to maintain the Israeli government's standing with its domestic audience and preserve the fragile unity of its governing coalition.
The fragility of this was exposed when the Otzma Yehudit Party withdrew immediately after the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Religious Zionism Party leader and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also laid out a series of demands of Netanyahu, including expanding settlements and initiating military operations in the northern West Bank, with the possibility of further escalation in the region.
The Israeli offensive in Jenin coincided with efforts made by the Palestinian Security Forces to restore order and address armed groups affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, allegedly linked to Iran. The Israeli authorities have reportedly facilitated the flow of weapons to these groups, creating a pretext for carrying out ethnic-cleansing operations in the West Bank starting with Jenin similar to those seen in Gaza over the past 15 months.
A Palestinian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the Palestinian Security Forces had nearly succeeded in curbing lawlessness and armed demonstrations. However, Israel intervened to disrupt these efforts, he said, maintaining a justification for its aggression and potential war crimes in the West Bank.
The official said that Israel, through US intermediaries and the High Security Coordination Committee, had demanded that the PA halt its security operations in Jenin. When the PA refused, Israeli forces launched a large-scale surprise operation on Tuesday last week, attacking the Palestinian Security Forces from the ground and air, targeting personnel and equipment, injuring several officers, and eventually forcing a withdrawal.
The official warned of a far-right agenda led by religious Zionist parties in Israel, which advocate the establishment of a 'Kingdom of Israel' in Judea and Samaria, terms used by these parties to refer to the northern and southern West Bank.
This vision prioritises these regions over the coastal cities of historic Palestine and seeks to exclude non-Jews as a prelude to this kingdom's establishment, hinting at plans for the mass displacement of Palestinians.
Journalists covering the Israeli aggression in Jenin describe the military assault as the most intense since 2002. Journalist Noor Al-Fares, speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly from Jenin, said Israeli forces had launched an unprecedented attack on the Refugee Camp from multiple fronts, including aerial strikes.
The forces had indiscriminately fired on the camp, besieging the public hospital, and storming it in a way reminiscent of their tactics in Gaza.
The escalation has thus far claimed at least 16 Palestinian lives, injured over 50, and led to the arrest of dozens. Israeli forces have also razed infrastructure, destroyed streets, and demolished dozens of homes, signalling a potential escalation with devastating consequences.
Thousands of residents of the Jenin Refugee Camp have been forced to flee on foot amid the ongoing Israeli military assault. Seeking shelter in the city of Jenin, they have been received by local institutions and families, as the violence and humanitarian crisis worsen.
The war in the West Bank is not confined to Jenin. Israeli forces have been conducting nightly raids across Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps, raising fears of a broader escalation. These operations are compounded by settler violence, often carried out under the protection of Israeli forces.
According to a report by the independent Palestine News Network (PNN), Israel is waging a brutal campaign in the West Bank by empowering settlers and imposing strict closures. On Sunday night, Israeli forces sealed off roads between Palestinian cities, leaving thousands stranded and vulnerable to settler attacks.
This wave of aggression, marked by arson, assaults, and property destruction, continues unchecked amid an alarming global and regional silence.
One such attack occurred in the villages of Jinsafut and Al-Funduq east of Qalqilya. Israeli settlers under the protection of Israeli forces injured several Palestinians, set vehicles ablaze, and damaged businesses and homes.
The Palestinian Authority's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission has reported a sharp increase in Israeli restrictions in the West Bank, including the installation of additional checkpoints and roadblocks.
Amir Dawood, director of Documentation and Publishing at the commission, reported that 146 metal gates have been erected across the West Bank since 7 October 2023, with 17 added in 2025 alone.
Dawood explained that these checkpoints are not merely security measures but tools to reshape Palestinian geography, turning cities into isolated enclaves. The total number of checkpoints now stands at 898, ranging from permanent and temporary roadblocks to earth mounds and concrete barriers.
He also highlighted the dual nature of the attacks: the settlers deliberately inflict harm on people and properties, while the Israeli military enforces further control through checkpoints, cementing the Israeli Occupation's grip on Palestinian land.
Analyst Najeeb Faraj attributes the escalation in the West Bank to internal Israeli political dynamics. Netanyahu faces significant pressure from both domestic protests against his policies and tensions within his coalition government. The operation in Jenin, Faraj suggests, is meant to serve as a distraction from these internal challenges and an attempt to project strength to the Israeli public.
Netanyahu has been threatened by the resignation of Minister of Internal Security Itamar Ben Gvir, who declared that he would not remain in a government that allowed 'Palestinian terrorism' to prevail. This tightened the political horizon for Netanyahu's ruling coalition, forcing him to submit to the finance minister, who imposed stringent conditions that Netanyahu had no option but to accept.
Smotrich has outlined his conditions for remaining in Netanyahu's coalition that include resuming military operations in Gaza if Hamas' rule is not dismantled, intensifying the conflict, and annexing parts of the Gaza Strip.
Regarding the West Bank, his demands include expanding the settlements, seizing more Palestinian land, approving settlement master plans, and conducting military operations to displace Palestinians, particularly in the northern West Bank.
While international organisations and Western countries such as France have expressed concern over Israel's actions, activists argue that these responses fall short of addressing the severity of the situation. Munther Amira, a Palestinian rights activist, criticised the international community's silence, particularly in the face of US President Donald Trump's calls to relocate Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt.
Amira warned that such proposals are a 'recipe for further wars and violence' and accused far-right Israeli officials like Smotrich of viewing them as an opportunity to advance settlement expansion.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has also raised the alarm about the potential for genocide in the West Bank. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she stated that 'the genocidal crimes Israel is committing against Palestinians won't stop at Gaza unless forced to' do so.
The escalation in the West Bank, coupled with settler violence and stringent military control, paints a grim picture for the Palestinians. With the international community largely silent, fears are mounting that the West Bank could face the same catastrophic fate as Gaza if urgent action is not taken.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 30 January, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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