Since a recent Hamas attack from Gaza, deadly violence has surged in the West Bank, with over 90 Palestinians killed, primarily in clashes with Israeli troops.
Israel airstrikes hit affluent neighbourhoods in Gaza/AFP
Deadly violence is on the rise in the West Bank as the Israeli military continues its pursuit of Palestinian militants following the recent Hamas attack from Gaza. Over the past two weeks, more than 90 Palestinians have lost their lives in the Israeli-occupied territory, primarily in clashes with Israeli troops, according to a report in the Associated Press.
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This surge in violence threatens to open another front in the two-week-old war, placing additional pressure on the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. The authority administers parts of the West Bank but is deeply unpopular among Palestinians due to its security cooperation with Israel.
According to the report, among the recent casualties, six Palestinians were killed in separate incidents on Sunday, including two who died in an airstrike on a mosque in the volatile Jenin refugee camp, which Israel claimed was being used by militants.
It's worth noting that Israel rarely employs air power in the West Bank, even as it has launched airstrikes on Hamas-ruled Gaza since the militant group's cross-border incursion on October 7.
The death toll in Israel has also been significant, with more than 1,400 people killed, the majority being civilians targeted in the initial Hamas assault. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza reports that over 4,300 Palestinians have been killed. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank has confirmed 91 Palestinian casualties since October 7, the report further stated.
Before the Hamas attack, 197 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank in the previous year, as per an Associated Press count. Additionally, some Palestinians lost their lives in violent anti-Israel protests and in attacks by Jewish settlers.
In response to the situation, Israel has tightened its control over the territory, closing crossings and checkpoints between Palestinian towns. Israeli forces have detained over 700 suspects in the West Bank, including 480 Hamas members since hostilities began.
The report stated Israel's resumption of aerial attacks, which reached a high intensity in Jenin, represents a shift in military tactics. The Israeli military described the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin as a militant compound belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a smaller, more radical Palestinian militant group. According to Israeli authorities, these militants had carried out several attacks in recent months and were planning another imminent assault.
The escalating violence follows more than a year of increasing raids, arrests in the West Bank, and deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 war, while the Palestinians sought all three territories for a future state.
The issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, home to over 500,000 Israelis, remains a significant point of contention. The international community largely considers these settlements illegal, while the more than 2.5 million Palestinians in the territory live under Israeli military rule. The Palestinians view the settlements as the primary obstacle to resolving the conflict with Israel, and substantial peace talks broke down over a decade ago, the report further added.
Settler violence against Palestinians has also intensified since the Hamas attack. Palestinian authorities report at least five Palestinians killed by settlers, with rights groups documenting incidents of settlers torching cars and attacking small Bedouin communities, leading to forced evacuations.
The West Bank Protection Consortium, a coalition of non-governmental organizations and donor countries, including the European Union, reports that at least 470 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the West Bank due to settler violence since October 7. This is in addition to over 1,100 people displaced since 2022.
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