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Series of Israeli military engagements in the occupied West Bank From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
During the Israel–Hamas war, Israeli forces have carried out multiple ground incursions, occasionally accompanied by airstrikes, into several Palestinian cities and refugee camps in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including Jenin and Tulkarm.[52] The Israeli incursions have led to clashes with Palestinian militants. Over 600 West Bank Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the conflict began,[53] including 75 children.[54] The United Nations recorded more than 800 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians between October 2023 and May 2024.[55] Israel has arrested an estimated 10,000 West Bank Palestinians between 7 October 2023 and August 2024.[53] On 15 December, Doctors Without Borders reported 2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in recorded history.[56]
| Israeli incursions in the West Bank | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Israel–Hamas war | ||||||||
 See here for a more detailed map. | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Belligerents | ||||||||
 Israel |
|
 Palestinian Authority | ||||||
| Units involved | ||||||||
|
Shin Bet[7] Armed Israeli settlers[10] |
|
 Palestinian National Security Forces Palestinian Civil Police Force | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
|
9+ soldiers killed[6][31][32][33][5] 35+ soldiers injured[34][35][36][33][5][37] 2+ police officers killed[38][39] 10+ policemen wounded[40] 3 armed settlers injured[41] | Unknown |
1 officer killed[42][43] 4 officers injured[44][45] | ||||||
|
Per the United Nations and the Palestinian Ministry of Health: 553+ killed[a][b] 4,800+ injured[c] 10,000+ Arrested[50] 2 alleged spies killed[51] | ||||||||
Tensions and violence between Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank were escalating long before the start of the 2023 war. According to the UN, 2022 was the deadliest year for Palestinians on record,[57] and the year to September 2023 already represented the deadliest year in history for children in the West Bank.[58]
On 12 October 2023, Israel conducted a raid in Jenin, West Bank, resulting in the reported detention of a Hamas fighter and injuries to other individuals.[59] On 14 October 2023, another raid was launched in the city, leading to the deaths of multiple people.[60][61][62]
On 22 October 2023, an airstrike carried out by the Israel Defense Forces targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad groups organising an "imminent terror attack" at the Al-Ansar Mosque, causing extensive damage.[63][64] Two people were killed, and three others were injured.[52][65][63] The IDF asserted that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) had been operating from a compound beneath the mosque.[65][63][52] The Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki, characterized the attack as a "dangerous escalation in the use of warplanes" and expressed concern over the adoption of tactics from Gaza.[66]
On 27 October, Ayser Mohammad Al-Amer, a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was reportedly killed during a clash with the IDF.[67] On 30 October, Israeli forces again raided Jenin, engaging in fighting that reportedly killed two Palestinians.[68]
On November 17, the IDF reportedly engaged in clashes with militants from the Al-Quds Brigades and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Jenin over several hours.[11] This confrontation resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including three Hamas fighters and two civilians.[69][70] Another clash occurred on November 29, during which the IDF reportedly clashed with PIJ militants, leading to the death of two militants.[71]
On 29 November, the IDF killed "two high-ranking terrorists". During the raid suspects threw explosive devices at IDF soldiers and they responded with live fire. CCTV footage depicting the killings show 14-year old Basel Abu Al-Wafa being shot at multiple times, sustaining mortal wounds while 8-year old Adam Al-Ghool was killed with a shot to the head.[72][73]
On December 5, clashes resulted in the injury of five Palestinians.[74] On December 6, a violent confrontation with the IDF resulted in the death of one teenage protester and injuries to two others.[75] On 12 December, five Palestinians were killed, while another man was killed later that day.[76] On December 13, a Palestinian protester was killed, and two others along with a child were wounded by Israeli gunfire.[77] On 14 December, Israel stated they had arrested 60 wanted individuals, confiscated 50+ weapons, discovered explosives and funds exceeding NIS 100,000, and uncovered underground shafts, explosives labs, and observation posts. According to IDF statements, forces reportedly destroyed infrastructure, seized ammunition, and targeted two squads with the air force, resulting in seven reported deaths and injuries. Over ten individuals, and a total of twelve Palestinians were killed in reported clashes.[78][79] A 17-year-old was reportedly shot and killed by IDF forces inside the Khalil Suleiman hospital compound near the Jenin refugee camp, accourding to accounts by the Doctors Without Borders.[80] A female Israeli soldier shot and killed a Palestinian man on 22 December for attempting to move his car.[81] Raids on 24 December in Jenin and multiple other areas in the West Bank resulted in more than ten arrests.[82] At least ten houses were raided on 25 December.[83]
A dozen raids were reported on 2 January, with a violent raid in Jenin and violent confrontations in Azzun, resulting in the death of four Palestinians.[84] Raids were reported in Ya'bad on 5 January, with an eleven-year-old wounded.[85] A doctor described a drone strike on 7 January, stating one man "was decapitated. It seemed the missile directly hit him. Others had their limbs severed."[86] All entrances into Jenin were reported blocked on 9 January.[87] The chair of the Jenin high-level committee stated Israel had destroyed streets, electric poles, water lines, and a monument to Shireen Abu Akleh.[88] The British charity Action Around Bethlehem Children with Disability stated it had been damaged by Israeli forces.[89]
On 13 January, Israeli soldiers surrounded the Al Amal Hospital, searching ambulances.[90] A young man was killed during a raid and his brother was arrested on 25 January.[91] The IDF destroyed roundabouts on 28 January.[92] Three young men were reportedly beaten severely by IDF troops in a raid on Ya'bad on 29 January.[93] On 30 January, an additional three young Palestinian men, claimed by the IDF to be militants, were assassinated in a Jenin hospital by Israeli commandos disguised in medical uniforms.[94][95] The men were reportedly killed in their beds while they were asleep.[96] Some legal analysis have remarked that these actions might constitute a war crime.[97]
Two young men in their late-twenties were hospitalized after being beaten for several hours by Israeli soldiers and left in an olive grove.[98] A raid on 13 February destroyed infrastructure, including water, sewage, and internet networks.[99] A young man was killed by Israeli forces on 13 February, after the soldiers refused to allow medical personnel to reach him.[100] Clashes were reported in Qabatiya after Israeli forces destroyed people's property and vehicles.[101] Israeli Army Radio stated that three Palestinians were killed in an air raid on 20 February.[102] A 25-year-old was killed on 21 February.[103] A strike on 22 February killed one and wounded fifteen; two more people died from this strike in the following days.[104][105] The Israeli forces put the village of Jalbun under military lockdown after Israeli demolitions of Palestinian shacks led to confrontations and an arrest.[106]
An 18-year-old boy died from gunshot wounds to the head on 5 March.[107] Two were killed during a raid on 12 March.[108] Israeli forces opened fire on the Jenin Government Hospital wounding civilians standing in front of the emergency department and killing two.[109] An Israeli airstrike killed three people on 21 March, the second airstrike in less than a month.[110] Doctors reported four casualties following an Israeli drone raid on 27 March.[111] Al Jazeera English reported Israel's "frequent use of drones to kill Palestinians."[112] A 19-year-old was reported dead from serious gunshot wounds.[113] According to the official Palestinian news agency, a 13-year-old was shot and killed by Israeli forces in Qabatiya.[114][115]
Authorities stated a teacher and a doctor, as well as two teenagers, were among seven people killed on 21 May 2024.[116] The Palestinian Red Crescent Society posted footage reportedly showing Israeli troops preventing medics from transporting a wounded person.[117] Defense for Children International stated Israeli snipers killed two 15-year-old boys and called on the U.S. to stop providing arms used to kill children.[118] Verified footage from the raid showed Israeli forces abusing stripped Palestinian men.[119]
In mid-June 2024, Israeli forces reportedly beat a young man from Jenin into unconsciousness.[120]
On Thursday, 19 October 2023, at 3 a.m., Israeli forces conducted a raid in Tulkarm, focusing on Nur Shams, various neighborhoods, and the Tulkarm camp.[citation needed] A 15-year-old boy and his father were killed by snipers.[121] In the Nur Shams camp, a drone deployed by Israel resulted in casualties among a group of Palestinians.[122] Four children and eight young men were killed in the airstrike.[123] The Israeli army reported the death of one officer and injuries to nine soldiers due to the detonation of an explosive device in the Nour Shams camp, with the wounded soldiers transported to the Meir Hospital.[124][125]
On the second day of the raid, Friday, 20 October 2023, explosions occurred at dawn and in the morning hours. The Tulkarm Battalion reported that additional armed groups had reached Tulkarm to support their efforts.[126] The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed 13 casualties, including 5 children, with the deceased and injured transported to Martyr Dr. Thabet Thabet Governmental Hospital.[127]
On November 2, 2023, an Israeli reserve soldier in a civilian vehicle was ambushed by militants in Beit Lid and fatally shot.[128][129]
Five were killed on 17 December, while ambulances were prevented from reaching the wounded, and paramedics were arrested.[130] On 20 December 2023, Israeli forces raided the town of Attil.[131] On 23 December, bulldozers entered Tulkarem and clashes were reported between Palestinian and Israeli forces.[132] On 24 December, homemade explosives were reportedly used against the IDF.[133] More than 100 Israeli army vehicles raided Nur Shams on 25 December.[134] An overnight drone strike was reported on 27 December, with a paramedic stating he found bodies of "men lying everywhere".[135][136]
Five people were injured during a raid on 3 January 2024, including one person hit by a live bullet, three people beaten by Israeli soldiers, and one person who was rammed by an Israeli jeep.[137] A forty hour raid on Nur Shams concluded on 4 January, with more than a dozen wounded from soldier beatings.[138] 500 people were reportedly interrogated.[139] The head of the Tulkarem camp services committee condemned an Israeli killing of three young men after video showed soldiers running over the body of one young man after shooting him dead.[140] A seven-hour raid on Nur Shams occurred on 12 January, resulting in damage to infrastructure and leading the camp's emergency head to state, "There is no street inside the camp or alley that has not been destroyed."[141] A teen boy was beaten to death by Israeli soldiers on 13 January.[142]
Three paramedics were arrested during a raid on 17 January.[143] Five people were killed.[144] The raid reportedly lasted more than forty hours, with homes and infrastructure destroyed and a large number of men detained.[145] The IDF reportedly exchanged fire with local militants and uncovered explosive booby-trapped roads, damaging electricity and water lines on 30 January.[146][147]
A young man was shot in the chest during an Israeli raid on Kafr Jammal on 3 February.[148] Two men were killed in Nur Shams on 7 February.[149] The head of Nur Sham's popular committee stated that since 7 October, Israeli forces had raided 17 times, killed 23 young men, destroyed 35 homes, displaced 800 residents, and destroyed roads, sewage, water, and electricity networks.[150] Two people were killed on 18 February.[151][152] In response, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry stated, "Carte blanche has been given to Israeli soldiers from the political echelon, enabling them to shoot Palestinians on a whim and without any threat posed."[153]
Two men were killed by Israeli forces during a raid on 12 March.[154] Israel launched a raid on 21 March, with witnesses stating it was the "most brutally violent night they've ever had in terms of the destruction they've seen around them."[155] The Palestine Red Crescent Society stated four people were killed during an Israeli raid on Nur Shams.[156]
Medical sources in Nur Shams stated a man had been shot in the chin and neck by an Israeli sniper while filming a military raid on the camp.[157] Destruction was reported following an Israeli raid in late-April, with the Palestinian Red Crescent reporting 14 deaths.[158]
Three young men in their twenties were reportedly killed in an overnight raid on 16 May.[159] In July 2024, Palestinian officials stated five people were killed by Israeli troops during a raid.[160][161]
On 12 October 2023, a group of Israeli soldiers and settlers stripped a group of men naked in Ramallah, urinating on them, burning them with cigarettes, and sexually assaulted one man.[162] Five people were wounded during a raid in Ramallah.[163] On 5 January, a teenage boy was shot and killed in Bani Zeid al-Gharbia.[164] A local doctor was blindfolded and arrested during a Ramallah raid on 7 January.[165] A doctor and nurse were arrested in Ramallah on 8 January.[166] Israeli forces reportedly released poisonous gas during a raid in Beit Rima on 28 January.[167]
On 7 February 2024, Israeli forces broke into the house of an American woman in Silwad, pulled her out of bed and arrested her due to her social media posts.[168] A teenager was reportedly shot in the head and killed by Israeli forces on 10 February.[169] Six children were reportedly arrested in Aboud on 20 February.[170] Two ten-year-olds were arrested on 22 February.[171] The body of a thirteen-year-old boy from Jalazone was found dead near the separation wall, close to Beit El, an illegal Israeli settlement.[172] A teenage boy was shot dead by Israeli forces on 2 March in Kafr Ni'ma.[173] A 13-year-old boy was killed by Israeli forces on 3 March, after he was reportedly left bleeding out for hours.[174] A 16-year-old protester was shot and killed on 4 March.[175] In June 2024, Israeli forces raided Kafr Nima, killing four people and wounding four.[176] A 12-year-old boy died after being shot by Israeli forces in June 2024.[177]
On 19 January, Israeli forces killed an American teenager in Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya.[178][179][d] His father stated, "They are killer machines. They are using our tax dollars in the US to support the weapons to kill our own children."[181][182] The U.S. Office for Palestinian Affairs called for an investigation into the boy's death.[183] The U.S. State Department stated, "We are working to understand the circumstances of the incident [and] have asked the Government of Israel for further information."[184] The National Security Council spokesman stated the White House was "seriously concerned about these reports".[185] The State Department called for an "urgent investigation" on 22 January.[186] On 25 January, U.S. Congressmember Rashida Tlaib called for an investigation into Ajaq's death, stating, "Tawfiq deserved to grow old."[187] A witness of the killing stated the shooting was unprovoked.[188]
A month later on 10 February, Israeli forces killed another American citizen in Biddu. The victim was 17-year-old Mohammad Khdour, who was shot in the head while out driving.[189][190]
An investigation was launched on 6 December 2023 after Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a mentally disabled man in Hebron.[191] A 28-year-old pharmaceutical representative was shot dead by the IDF in Beit Einun after turning on a road he didn't know was closed.[192][193] On 21 December 2023, Israeli forces raided multiple areas across the Palestinian territories including Halhul and Surif.[194] On 27 December, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported three people were wounded during an IDF raid in Hebron.[195] People in Hebron were injured on 30 December 2023 with rubber bullets and tear gas.[196] On 30 December 2023, the governor of the Hebron Governorate stated the city of Hebron had been sealed off by the IDF since 7 October.[197] On 29 December 2023, Israeli forces assaulted and fired shots at Palestinian shepherds in the Masafer Yatta region.[198]
Raids were reported in Al-Arroub on 5 January 2024.[199] On 13 January 2024, Israeli forces shot and killed three teenage boys near Adora, Har Hevron.[200] Later, troops raided the boys' family house in Hebron, using tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber bullets, while their family was mourning the killings.[201] On 15 January 2024, a young man and young woman were killed near Hebron after an Israeli raid.[202] On 19 January 2024, the home of Imad Abu Shamsieh, a human rights activist, was raided, and he was told to stop "filming and documenting".[203] On 29 January 2024, the acting mayor of Hebron said Israeli forces had killed two young men and wounded three in Dura.[204] A boy killed on his way home from school on 15 February 2024 was the 100th child in the West Bank to be killed by Israel since 7 October.[205] Three young brothers were shot by Israeli forces near Hebron on 29 February while picking plants, killing one.[206]
In 25 March 2024, authenticated footage showed Israeli soldiers removing a young boy's shirt and slapping him in the face.[207] A 14-year-old boy was reportedly shot and killed in May 2024.[208] In August 2024, Doctors Without Borders described increased Israeli restrictions and violence against Palestinians was impacting Hebron residents physical and mental health.[209] During a raid on the Al-Fawar refugee camp, Israeli soldiers abused civilians and arrested more than 30 people.[210]
On 15 December 2023, Israel launched an investigation after B'tselem released video of IDF soldiers shooting two unarmed men at point-blank range in Far'a.[211] Seven were wounded in a raid near Tubas.[212] On 27 February, the acting governor of Tubas stated that an Israeli raid had destroyed roads, generators, while "three young men were killed in cold blood while living their normal lives at their homes".[213] In June 2024, a raid on Far'a reportedly lasted more than 12 hours, killing a fifteen-year-old boy.[214] In September 2024, an Israeli sniper killed Sufyan Jaber Abed Jawwad, the first UN employee to be killed in the West Bank in more than a decade.[215][216]
Raids were also reported in Bethlehem on Christmas Day.[217] On January 6, Israeli forces reportedly conducted a "crackdown" on resistance and dissent, with troops reportedly beating three men in Bethlehem.[218] A health clinic near Bethlehem was raided on 10 January.[219] Raids were reported near Bethlehem on 18 January, with four young men reportedly beaten by soldiers.[220] On 11 February 2024, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that a 35-year-old man had been killed by Israeli forces with 20 bullets found in his body.[221]
On 29 December 2023, a 17-year-old boy in Qalqilya was shot in the chest and then arrested while ambulances sought to aid him.[222] On 2 January 2024, paramedics in Qalqilya were shot when they tried to rescue an injured man.[223] A 20-year-old was killed when Israeli forces shot him in the head, shoulders, and chest.[224] A fifteen-year-old boy was killed on 21 February.[225] On 9 March, the mayor of Azzun stated that Israeli forces had killed 8 young men and arrested more than 100 since 7 October.[226] A 15-year-old boy was reportedly shot and killed by Israeli forces in August 2024.[227]
Explosions and armed fighting were reported in Balata Camp on 24 December.[228] 35 people were arrested in raids across the West Bank on 25 December.[229] 200 homes in Burqa were raided on Christmas Day.[230] Officials in Sebastia reported Israeli settlers were attacking and destroying archeological sites.[231] At least fourteen people were injured during a raid in Nablus on 9 January.[232] On 10 January, five were wounded in Nablus.[233] The head of the Balata Camp service committee stated Israeli soldiers had killed five men in the camp on 17 January 2024, then stated, "Israeli forces kidnapped the bodies of four of the men as well as some body parts of Yazan al-Najmi".[234] On 4 February, Israeli forces released a military dog on a 4-year-old boy, who was repeatedly bit and bled profusely for three minutes before being hospitalized.[235] On 6 February, a young man in Beit Furik was shot and killed after Israeli forces prevented ambulances from reaching him.[236]
On 13 February, settlers attacked shepherds, pelting them with stones, setting a vehicle on fire, and attempting to steal their flock.[237] On 18 February, the governor of Nablus stated 48 people had been killed by Israelis since 7 October, and that the military was erecting gates and checkpoints, effectively turning it into a "big prison".[238] The village council chair of Duma stated their town had been sealed off by the IDF for 90 days and required international intervention.[239] A 17-year-old boy was shot in the back and killed during a military raid on 29 February.[240] An 11-year-old was killed after being shot in the head by Israeli live ammunition in Burin on 4 March.[241] After Israeli settlers attacked a home, Israeli forces arrived to protect the settlers, shooting live bullets and tear gas canisters at the Palestinian homeowners.[242] In August 2024, a Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic died a week after sustaining injuries during an Israeli raid.[243]
In November 2024, an Israeli soldier on a military jeep shot and killed an 11-year-old boy.[244]
On 31 October, Israeli forces heightened their operations in other parts of the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of five Palestinians in Qabatiya, Tammun, and Nablus. This brought the total number of casualties in the West Bank since 7 October to 90 people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.[65]
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported Israeli forces had fired live ammunition on youth protesters in Halhul, injuring two, with additional raids in Tubas, Qalqilya, Deir Abu Da'if, Jalbun, and Jalqamus.[245] On 23 December, raids were reported across the West Bank, including in Dheisheh, Hebron, Yatta, Beita, Qaryut, Jericho, Ein as-Sultan, and Aqabat Jaber.[246] The same day, Israeli soldiers shot a man with special needs carrying a bag of lollipops reportedly for no apparent reason.[247] On 25 December, Israeli forces destroyed an agricultural facility in Salfit and ordered the residents of Yatta to cease construction of a new school.[248] On 28 December, the Palestine Monetary Authority reported Israeli forces raided the headquarters of six exchange companies and seized vast sums of money.[249] Approximately $2.5 million were seized after soldiers blew up the bank vaults.[250] Raids were reported across the West Bank on 9 January.[251]
Five Palestinians were killed throughout the West Bank on 14 January.[252] Raids were reported across the West Bank on 18 January.[253] Raids were reported across the West Bank on 21 January, placing economic pressure on residents and disrupting peoples' livelihoods.[254] Raids were reported across the West Bank on 25 January.[255] Raids on 29 January killed five boys and young men in just 24 hours.[256] A Jericho raid by Israeli forces on 21 March killed a young Palestinian man.[257]
On 22 December, two Palestinians in East Jerusalem were wounded after Israeli forces fired sound bombs and tear gas.[258] On 29 December, Israeli forces fired skunk water, tear gas, and rubber bullets at worshippers in Wadi al-Joz.[259] The same day, one individual was reported injured following an Israeli raid in Kafr 'Aqab.[260] A raid was reported in Silwan, with families reporting Israeli troops ransacking homes after accusing them of shooting fireworks at settlers 2 km away.[261] A four-year-old girl was killed by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint on 7 January.[262] A man in az-Za'ayyem was reportedly forced to demolish his own home.[263] A fourteen-year-old boy was shot and killed on 5 February.[264] A 15-year-old boy was killed on 12 February.[265] A thirteen-year-old boy was arrested on 14 February.[266]
An American teenager was shot in the head and killed by Israeli police in Biddu.[267] In a statement, the U.S. State Department said, "We urgently call for a quick, thorough, and transparent investigation, including full accountability".[268] On 21 February, Fakhri Abu Diab, a researcher, stated that Israeli policy had implemented an "iron fist" on Jerusalem Palestinians, thus subjecting them to collective punishment.[269]
In May 2024, the UNRWA office was closed after Israelis set fire to the building, causing "extensive damage".[270] Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, stated UN staff in prior months had been harassed, intimidated, and threatened with guns by Israelis.[271] On 13 May, HaMoked stated that Israelis had again attacked UNRWA headquarters, setting the perimeter on fire.[272]
A 13-year-old boy was shot in the chest by Israeli forces and died in East Jerusalem on 12 March.[273][274] Israeli forces said the boy had shot fireworks at them; however, video of the incident showed he had aimed the fireworks into the air.[275] Clashes between protesters and Israeli forces erupted the following day.[276] Following the child's death, Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that he saluted the troops who had killed the "terrorist".[277] Israel held onto the child's body, reportedly to pressure the family to reduce the large number of people mourning the boy's death in their home.[278] Israeli forces stated they would release the body but stated the child would need to be buried on the opposite side of the Israeli West Bank barrier from his family.[279]
The boy's family described the child, stating, "He was good at school, he was smart, he helped our neighbours."[280] A preliminary investigation suggested the boy was shot and killed before his firework had launched.[281] The boy's funeral was held on 18 March.[282]
Shepherds in the Jordan Valley reported arbitrary arrests and settler violence following 7 October.[283] Israeli forces stormed the Ein as-Sultan camp on 1 February 2024.[284]
On 28 August 2024, Israel launched its largest military operation inside the West Bank since Operation Defensive Shield in 2002,[285] calling it "Operation Summer Camps",[286][287][288] and deploying hundreds of IDF troops together with bulldozers and air support.[289][290][291]
The stated aim of the operation is to degrade West Bank militant forces and prevent attacks on Israeli targets. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz labelled the operation a "full-fledged war" and accused Iran of trying to establish an "eastern terrorist front" against Israel in the West Bank by funding and arming militants in the region.[292][293]
As part of the military operation, Israeli forces have battled Palestinian militants in and around cities across the West Bank, including Tulkarm and Jenin. Notably, the IDF managed to kill Abu Shujaa and Wassem Hazem, the heads of the Tulkarm Brigade and Hamas' Jenin branch, respectively.[294][295]
On 3 October 2024, Israel launched its first airstrike on the Tulkarm refugee camp since Operation Defensive Shield, killing 20 people including Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi and Ayyth Radwan, the respective heads of the local Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad branches.[296]
Since the beginning of the war, Palestinian militias in the West Bank have largely been on the defensive against near-daily Israeli raids. Nonetheless, they have sometimes carried out offensive operations against Israeli targets such as settlements, checkpoints, military outposts, and individuals.
On 20 November, the Salfit Batallion, an unaffiliated minor Palestinian militia, attacked two settler vehicles near Az-Zawiya.[297]
On 21 December, militants attacked the Beitar Illit settlement near Bethlehem with explosives.[298]
On 12 January, the IDF killed three militants who attempted to infiltrate an Israeli settlement near Hebron and wounded a soldier.[299][300] On 15 January, two militants who entered Israel covertly from Hebron carried out vehicle-ramming attacks in Ra'anana, killing one person and injuring 18 others.[301]
On 16 February, the al-Quds Brigades fired at Israeli forces stationed at the Dotan checkpoint, south of the Mevo Dotan settlement in the West Bank.[302] On 29 February, three militants, including a Palestinian Authority policeman, opened fire at a gas station near the West Bank settlement of Eli, killing two Israelis.[303]
On 16 March, a militant reportedly affiliated with Hamas opened fire on a settlement near Hebron and was killed by the IDF.[304]
On 13 April, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades attacked an IDF checkpoint, an Israeli settlement near Tulkarm, and an Israeli town on the West Bank border.[305]
On 19 June, the Al-Quds Brigades targeted an outpost on the site of the former Homesh settlement with explosives.[306] On 22 June, the Tulkarm Brigade[307][308] killed an Israeli civilian in Qalqilya.[309][310]
On 16 July, at the Ramin Junction near Nablus, militants opened fire on an Israeli vehicle that had previously injured several Palestinian civilians. Three settlers inside were wounded.[311][312] On 31 July, a Hamas militant shot and stabbed a settler in his vehicle near Kiryat Arba, a settlement near Hebron.[313][314]
On 6 August, a militant carried out a shooting attack in the Beka'ot settlement.[315] On 11 August, Hamas carried out a drive-by shooting on two settlers on Route 90 near the Mehola settlement in the Jordan Valley, killing one and wounding the other.[316][317] On 18 August, a militant killed an Israeli security guard with a hammer near the Kedumim settlement.[318] That same day, a militant from Nablus carried out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, wounding one person.[319][320] On 30 August, militants of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades[321] used two car bombs to attack Israeli settlements near Hebron.[322]
On 1 September, the Khalil al-Rahman Brigade killed three Israeli police officers who were driving near Hebron.[323][324][325] On 8 September, a pro-Palestinian Jordanian gunman killed three Israeli personnel at the Allenby Crossing, at the border between Jordan and the West Bank.[326] On 11 September, a militant carried out a ramming attack near the Givat Asaf settlement, killing one soldier.[327] On 19 September, the al-Quds Brigades targeted the Shaked settlement with gunfire.[328] The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades targeted two IDF checkpoints at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerzim with gunfire on 19 September and 21 September, respectively.[329]
On 1 October, two Hamas gunmen from Hebron carried out a shooting attack in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, killing seven people and injuring 17 others.[330][331][332] On 6 October, the Mujahideen Brigades of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement carried out a shooting attack on a gathering of IDF soldiers and settlers near Jenin.[333] On 8 October, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades targeted an IDF checkpoint at Mount Gerzim with gunfire.[334] On 11 October, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades targeted an IDF checkpoint at Qalandiya with an explosive, and fired at the Avnei Hefetz settlement near Tulkarm.[335] On 19 October, PIJ targeted a vehicle in the Mevo Dotan settlement with gunfire.[336] On the same day, a militant conducted a ramming attack against an Israeli police vehicle near the Ofra settlement, but was shot dead and did not inflict any casualities.[337][338] PIJ conducted shooting attacks targeting IDF observation posts in Mevo Dotan on 24 October and a checkpoint at the Israel–West Bank border on 25 October.[339] A PIJ militant targeted the Shaked settlement with gunfire on 28 October.[340]
On 1 November, PIJ militants shot at Israeli forces near the Israel–West Bank border crossing.[341] On 6 November, a militant attacked and injured two Israelis at the Shilo settlement.[342]
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which is largely seen by Palestinians as ineffective and subjugated to the Israeli occupation,[343][344] has had a shared interest with Israel in suppressing militants even before the outbreak of the war.[345] Cooperation between the PA security forces and the IDF is reflected by the fact that the former have simply remained in their barracks during IDF raids[346][347] and have actively interfered with militants' defenses against those raids.[348][349][350][351]
The July 2024 West Bank unrest directed against the Palestinian Authority was a major escalation in its conflict with the militants,[352] sparked by the alleged arrest attempt of "Abu Shujaa", the leader of the Tulkarm Brigade, on 26 July. Protestors and militants clashed with security forces in Tulkarm,[353][354][355] Jenin,[356][357][358][359] Bethlehem,[360][361] Tubas,[360] and Nablus.[359] By August, the unrest had been "contained", according to Tulkarm officials.[362]
Since August, the rate of clashes between the militias and security forces has increased again, with notable fighting in the Jenin area throughout September[363][364][365][366] and in the Tubas area throughout October.[367][368][369][370][371]
There has been one case during the war where there was an incident between the IDF and the Palestinian Authority, that being the shooting death of a Palestinian Authority customs officer during an IDF raid into Tubas on 24 July 2024.[42][372]
In the aftermath of the 3 October 2024 Tulkarm Camp airstrike by Israel, Laith Jaar, an Al Jazeera journalist who was covering the bombing was assaulted by a security officer, who threatened to shoot him. Jaar was subsequently arrested and detained by the security forces,[373][374] and released a day later.[375]
On 29 October 2024, Israeli settlers carried out a shooting attack against PA security forces near the Havat Gilad settlement, injuring 2 officers; the IDF condemned the attack and began an investigation into it.[340]
A report by B'Tselem found that the Israeli military had severely cracked down on Palestinians' freedom of movement, stating it was using "its network of checkpoints to tighten supervision, setting up dozens of new checkpoints, blocking access from dozens of villages to main roads, and revoking all permits for Palestinians to enter Israel for work or other reasons".[376]
The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed "high concern" regarding "the sharp increase in [the] number of arrests" in the occupied West Bank since October 7.[377] Amnesty International has also criticized the "spike in arbitrary arrests" of Palestinians since October 7.[378] Similarly, The Wall Street Journal reported that the rate of arrests in the occupied West Bank has "more than doubled" since that date.[379]
On October 17, Al Jazeera reported that nearly 700 people had been arrested in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem since the outbreak of the war.[380] By October 28, this number had climbed to 1,550, according to estimates by the Palestinian Prisoners Society.[381] The Globe and Mail reported that Israel had advised the Palestinian Authority of the existence of 1,700 prisoners, but not their whereabouts, as of October 31.[382] On November 6, Al Jazeera reported that 1,740 individuals had been arrested in overnight raids since the outbreak of the war; BBC reported the total number of arrestees at 2,150, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society.[383][384] The Associated Press placed the number at 2,280 on November 8, citing the Palestinian Prisoners Society; on November 10, The Nation reported that the number was "at least 2,200".[385][386]
By November 8, the number of Palestinians held without charge or trial had increased from 1,319 to 2,070 since October 7, according to HaMoked.[378] On November 15, Mondoweiss reported that arrests in the West Bank continued, with 54 Palestinians arrested the previous night in overnight raids.[387] On November 28, the IDF told The Times of Israel that approximately 2,000 West Bank Palestinians had been arrested, while Palestinian monitoring groups reported 3,290 arrests.[388][389] On December 3, the Palestinian Prisoners Society reported 3,480 arrests, while the IDF reported 2,150 as of December 4 and 3,450 as of December 6.[390][391]
Al Jazeera reported that, as of January 10, 2024, nearly 6,000 Palestinians had been arrested in the West Bank since October 7, 2023.[392] An estimated 3,000 were being held under administrative detention.[393]
Detainees arrested in Deir Abu Mash'al, described the experience of being arrested by Israeli forces, stating that soldiers went door to door arresting people, blindfolding them, tying their hands, and taking them to an open building for interrogation.[394] Family members of detainees stated the Israeli army was unjustly arresting and interrogating people.[395]
Two directors and an employee from The Freedom Theatre were arrested by the IDF, with one stating, "They treated us like animals. They are trying to hurt us in anyway they can."[396] One director, Mostafa Sheta, remained in custody and was believed to be held in the Megiddo military prison in northern Israel.[397] The Royal Court Theatre responded to the reports by demanding for the release of the men.[398] On 22 February 2024, a spokesperson for Birzeit University stated that Israeli forces had detained the undergraduate student council president, with more than sixty students arrested since 7 October.[399] In March 2024, verified footage showed Israeli soldiers arresting a group of Palestinians, tying them up with rope, and dragging them.[400] In July 2024, PEN International condemned the detention of the president of PEN Palestine Hanan Awwad in East Jerusalem.[401]
In August 2024, Palestinian families in the West Bank reported hundreds of people were missing, with the Israeli military giving conflicting reports of their condition and whereabouts.[402]The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs reported Israeli forces demolished residential structures in Furush Beit Dajan and Deir Ballut on 25 December.[403] The UN reported 1,094 structures had been demolished and 2,127 Palestinians have been displaced in 2023.[404] On 27 December, UNOCHA stated that since 7 October, 1,208 people had been displaced due settler violence, 393 due to lacking Israeli building permits, 95 on punitive grounds, and 483 due to army demolitions.[405] On 15 January 2024, Israeli forces demolished two homes in Qalqilya, rendering 14 people homeless.[406] By 15 January, the number displaced due to army demolitions had grown to more than 600.[407]
In February 2024, a Palestinian activist whose family home in East Jerusalem was destroyed by Israel stated, "Israeli authorities want to rid [Jerusalem] of Palestinians and to change the makeup of the population."[408][409] A U.S. State Department spokesman said that the demolitions "damage Israel's standing in the world".[410] One man whose home was destroyed in East Jerusalem stated he had not even been able to pack his belongings.[411] On 29 February, Peace Now reported that the Israeli government had seized a large swath of land, threatening three Palestinian communities.[412] UNOCHA reported that Israel had demolished the homes of 155 Palestinians in just January and February 2024.[413] In late-March 2024, UNOCHA reported that 1,640 people had been displaced in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 7 October.[414] The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission stated 25 Bedouin communities had been displaced by Israel since 7 October.[415]
In May 2024, around 50 Bedouin family homes were destroyed in the Negev desert.[416] In July 2024, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected the appeal of eleven East Jerusalem families against their evictions.[417] In 2024 alone, Israel seized 23.7sq km (9.15 sq miles) of Palestinian land in the West Bank, more than in the past 20 years combined.[418] In August 2024, the Norwegian Refugee Council stated that 229 homes in East Jerusalem were demolished in 2023, the highest number on record.[419] Some families were forced to destroy their own homes.[420]
 |
Instances of Jewish settler violence against Palestinians grew following the 7 October attack.[426] These attacks forced Palestinians to leave their homes, as part of what experts called a "systematic campaign" to remove Palestinians.[427][428] On 11 October 2023, settlers killed a teenage boy in the back as he ran from their gunfire.[429] The United Nations stated on 13 December eight Palestinians had been killed by settlers since 7 October.[430] Israeli settlers, even before the war, had been allowed to act with impunity with most crimes going unpunished. They have been reportedly enabled and even protected by Israeli soldiers during their attacks.[431][432][433] B'tselem called settler violence an "informal tool" of the IDF, since settlers and soldiers conduct joint operations against Palestinians.[434] David Ignatius, an American journalist, described the situation in the West Bank as "a pattern of Israeli domination" and abuse.[435] On 25 December, at least eight Palestinians were wounded in settler attacks.[436] On 27 December, UNOCHA reported 367 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians since 7 October.[405] On 27 December, Shin Bet reported Israeli settlers were considering invoking din roder against Major General Yehuda Fox for confiscating illegal guns and arresting violent settlers.[437][438]
In many cases, Israeli settlers impersonate Israeli soldiers in uniform, further confusing and intimidating Palestinians.[439] Over 2,000 Palestinians have been displaced as a result of threats and violence.[440] On 28 December, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem reported 30 armed Israeli settlers assaulted clergy in the Armenian Quarter of East Jerusalem.[441] On 5 January, Peace Now, an Israeli organization that tracks settler activities in the West Bank, reported a large surge in settler construction of roadblocks, fences, and outposts.[442] On 15 January 2024, settlers committed arson, threw rocks, and vandalized property in Deir Sharaf, Qalqilia, and Turmus Ayya.[443] On 16 January, analyst Aref Daraghmeh stated settlers were using violence to take over the Jordan Valley.[444] Israeli settlers in Nablus reportedly set fire a car showroom on 23 January.[445] A total of 120 settler attacks were reported in January 2024.[446] On 2 February, settlers reportedly wrote death threats and attempted to set a car on fire.[447] On 12 February, Yesh Din reported a settler attack on Asira al-Qibliya.[448]
Netta Amar Shiff, a Jewish human rights lawyer representing Palestinians in the West Bank, stated that the legal infrastructure in the occupied territories allows "settlers to do whatever they want."[449] On 13 February, settlers from Yitzhar shot two Palestinians and threw molotov cocktails in Asira al-Qibliya.[450] On 17 February, two children were beaten in a settler attack in Hebron.[451] Peace Now stated, "Settler violence is not an isolated incident but rather a part of an organised strategy to dispossess Palestinians of their lands".[452] The co-founder of Youth Against Settlements stated, "The big problem for Hebron now is that the extremist settlers have been recruited to the Israeli army units operating in the city. They now control the lives of Palestinian residents."[453] The governor of Nablus reported a 200 percent increase in settler violence.[454]
On 21 February, a settler attack was reported in Asira al-Qibliya, with the town council stating settlers threw rocks, broke a car windshield, and attempted to light a car on fire.[455] Settlers assaulted two young men and stole their car.[456] On 25 February, settlers in Jericho stormed a Bedouin community and stole their sheep.[457] On 29 February, the mayor of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya stated, "The settlers are in the streets trying to attack [Palestinian] homes".[458] On 4 March, a Palestinian Authority official stated that settler attacks had increased following Western sanctions on violent Israeli settlers.[459] Ghassan Daghlas, the governor of Nablus stated that Israeli settler attacks were occurring "under the watchful eye of Israeli soldiers".[460] The United Nations reported that it had recorded a "shocking" 603 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians since 7 October.[461] By April 2024, the UN-recorded number of settler attacks had risen to more than 700.[462]
In April 2024, Israeli settler "rampages" against Palestinians reportedly resulted in multiple casualties, sparked by the killing of an Israeli teenager in the West Bank in, according to Israel, a suspected militant attack.[463] In Al-Mughayyir, the violence was described as "the worst anyone here could remember."[464] Human Rights Watch stated, "Settlers and soldiers have displaced entire Palestinian communities, destroying every home, with the apparent backing of higher Israeli authorities".[465] In July 2024, Israeli settlers in Bazariya reportedly set a Palestinian building supply store and bulldozer on fire.[466]
In September 2024, after an Israeli goat herder was beaten by several Palestinians near Jericho, settlers stormed a local elementary school where the assailants had reportedly fled, attacking teachers and students. The IDF arrived at the scene and detained the school principal and a teacher who were throwing stones at the attacking settlers.[467][468][469]
The Israeli government approved new expansions in occupied East Jerusalem during the war.[470] On 14 December, Amichai Chikli, the Social Equality Minister, stated Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip were a possibility "in certain parts where it makes sense".[471][472] On 30 December, Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich stated the "future" of Gaza settlements would be determined after the war.[473] In a later statement, Smotrich said Israelis in Gaza would "make the desert bloom".[474] On 4 January, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated Israel would not have a "civil presence" in Gaza after the war but would retain unrestricted military movement in it.[475] On 7 January, Itamar Ben-Gvir stated Israeli settlements in Gaza were the "order of the hour".[476] On 8 January, Middle East Eye reported a group of MKs met with Nachala to discuss plans to build future Jewish settlements in Gaza.[477] Israel approved 700 new settler units in East Jerusalem on 9 January.[478]
Israeli tourism minister Haim Katz, as well as other Likud party members, announced a conference for Israeli settlements in Gaza in response to the 7 October attacks.[479] The conference was planned to be hosted at Binyanei Hauma.[480] It was held on 28 January and drew both Israeli cabinet ministers and members of parliament.[481] Ben-Gvir was quoted stating, "In the first stage, we will encourage emigration – hundreds of thousands through a pilot, and we’ll just transfer them".[482] Ir Amim reported on 11 February that 17 settlements with around 8,400 units had been approved in East Jerusalem since the start of the conflict.[483] On 22 February, Bezalel Smotrich approved 3,344 new settler homes in the West Bank.[484] The move was criticized by Josep Borrell who stated it was "inflammatory and dangerous".[485] The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the announcement, stating, "Colonisation is incompatible with the creation of a Palestinian State. As well as being an obstacle to a lasting peace, this policy is also fuelling violence and tensions on the ground".[486] The UAE, Germany, Qatar, and Bahrain also condemned the expansion.[487][488] Denmark also condemned the expansion.[489]
In March 2024, it was reported that sales of property in the West Bank were being promoted internationally with events being hosted in synagogues in the United States and Canada.[490] After the Israeli government announced in March 2024 it was confiscating 800 hectares of land in the West Bank, the Israeli watchdog organization Peace Now stated it was the single largest land seizure since the passage of the 1993 Oslo Accords.[491] The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the expropriation as part of Israel's "theft" of the Palestinian homeland.[492] The Arab Parliament condemned the land seizure.[493] The European Union released a statement, saying, "In line with its longstanding common position and UN Security Council Resolutions, the EU will not recognise changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties".[494][495]
On 31 March 2024, Smotrich announced an expanded Israeli settlement in Wadi Auja, calling it an "appropriate Zionist response" to an attack against Israelis in the Jordan Valley.[496] Yitzhak Wasserlauf, an Israeli cabinet official, stated, "A total victory means a return to settle" the Gaza Strip.[497] In May 2024, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced settlers evacuated from the West Bank in 2005 would be allowed to return.[498]In March 2024 it was reported that there were promotions for West Bank property sales international with sales being hosted in the United States and Canada at local synagogues.[499] On 10 March, Israeli settlers in the Jordan Valley were reportedly building illegal settlements in the Ein al-Sakout village.[500] "Pastoral settlements," or the seizing of grazing lands by Israel settlers, increased following 7 October.[501] Between October 2023 and January 2024, West Bank settlers were documented having built at least 15 new outposts and 18 roads.[502] The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Israeli settler attempts "to plunder and steal Palestinian land".[503] In June 2024, the Israeli government approved five new settlements in the West Bank, according to Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich.[504] The G7 condemned Israel's move to expand its West Bank settlements.[505]
On 31 January 2024, a Fatah spokesman in Qalqilya stated that Israel's incursions were having economic impacts on the West Bank, stating, "Residents are suffering economically from the continuous closures, as occupation forces continue to close stores and impose a siege on the city."[506] In May 2024, Israeli forces seized an estimated $1 million USD from an exchange company.[507]
The Palestinian Ministry of Education reported that due to the rise in Israeli raids and settler attacks, many schools across the West Bank had been forced to cease operations.[508]
On 30 January United States President Joe Biden signed an executive order which allowed the US to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers, with potential inclusion of Israeli politicians and government officials that were found to be involved with violent attack against Palestinians. Biden had earlier ordered the secretaries of state and treasury to prepare for the potential sanctions against Israeli individuals or entities that were involved in the violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.[509] Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded to Biden's order, saying it was based on "an antisemitic lie".[510] Smotrich later stated, "We will not stand aside in the face of this injustice" and called for settlements to be "entrenched."[511][512] Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the sanctioned settlers, calling them "heroic".[513] Netanyahu criticized the sanctions and called them unnecessary.[514] Following the U.S. sanctions, online fundraisers collected hundreds of thousands for the settlers.[515] In March 2024, the U.S. sanctioned three additional settlers and two settler outposts.[516]
On 4 February 2024, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly stated that her government was preparing to issue sanctions against extremist settlers.[517] On 16 May, Canada sanctioned four West Bank settlers.[518] On 27 June 2024, Canada sanctioned another seven settlers.[519] The UK also issued sanctions on the four settlers and a second round of sanctions in May 2024.[520][521] On 13 February, France stated that it was imposing sanctions on 28 settlers who have used violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.[522] Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said that Spain would implement settler sanctions if the European Union does not come to an agreement.[523] Spain later announced sanctions on twelve violent Israeli settlers.[524] On 18 March, the EU unanimously agreed to sanction violent Israeli settlers.[525]
In July 2024, the U.S. announced sanctions against three Israeli individuals, four settler outposts, and a violent extremist organization in the West Bank.[526] Soon after, the EU announced sanctions on five Israeli individuals and three for "serious and systematic human rights abuses".[527]
Following the killing of a Palestinian child in East Jerusalem by an Israeli police, the killer was interrogated, leading National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to call the questioning "outrageous" and "disgraceful".[528] In response, Israel's attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara stated, "Criminal investigations, including those of police officers, are conducted with complete independence. Any intervention by you, directly or indirectly, violates the law... this should be stopped immediately".[529]
During the war, the Israeli military was increasingly active in the West Bank. According to Amnesty International, Israel violated international humanitarian law by using disproportionate force during arrest raids, blocking medical assistance to people with life-threatening injuries, attacking paramedics, and conducting unlawful killings.[530] Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty's director of global research, stated, "These unlawful killings are in blatant violation of international human rights law and are committed with impunity".[531] Ben Saul, UN special rapporteur on human rights, stated that a November 2023 IDF killing of two boys appeared to be a war crime.[532] On 5 March 2024, the Palestinian Red Crescent stated that it had recorded 427 violations against its medical mission by Israel in the West Bank, terming these a violation of international humanitarian law.[533]
Israeli forces disguised as medical staff and civilians have shot dead three Palestinians inside a hospital in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Hospital says the men were ‘assassinated’. Israel says they belonged to a ‘Hamas terrorist cell’.[534] The BBC called them "members of Palestinian armed groups".[535] But, even if they are militants, it is a war crime to gadget them when wounded, and a war crime to impersonate doctors in the process.[536] According to UN exports, the killing of three Palestinian men in a hospital in the occupied West Bank by Israeli commandos disguised as medical workers and Muslim women may amount to war crimes.[537]
Following the demolition of a Palestinian activist's family home in East Jerusalem — part of a broader wave of forced displacement in the West Bank[e] — the European Union External Action Service stated, "Such acts are in violation of International Humanitarian Law".[539] George Noll, head of the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs, condemned the demolition.[540] Following the Israeli approval of around 3,500 new illegal settlements in the West Bank, UN human rights chief Volker Türk stated the transfer of Israel's population into the occupied territories was a "war crime under international law".[541][542] Following the announcement that Israel was seizing 800 hectares of Palestinian land in the West Bank, the Federal Foreign Office stated, "The settlements violate international law and fuel further tensions in this extremely fragile situation."[543] French president Emmanuel Macron condemned the expanded settlements, stating they "are contrary to international law".[544]
BBC News reported in May 2024 that 11 soldiers of the Kfir Brigade (which is primarily active in the West Bank) posted on social media 45 photos and videos showing detained Palestinians; the Israeli Defence Forces did not respond when asked about the individual incidents or individual soldiers involved and identified, instead broadly stating: "In the event of unacceptable behavior, soldiers were disciplined and even suspended from reserve duty."[545] BBC News further reported that the soldiers did not obscure their identities, with some of them posting under names of Yohai Vazana, Ofer Bobrov, Sammy Ben, and Ori Dahbash.[545] According to BBC News, the "detained Palestinians are frequently shown blindfolded and restrained, having been forced to either lie on the floor, or squat, with their hands bound behind their backs", with some detainees being covered in Israeli flags.[545]On 13 March, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the killing of six civilians, including children, in one day, stating, "These are war crimes and crimes against humanity according to international law".[546] Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, stated, "Colonization and the increasing violence perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank are illegal. They must stop".[547] In May 2024, Human Rights Watch stated, "Israeli security forces... have been killing Palestinians without a legal basis in the West Bank, including deliberately executing Palestinians who posed no apparent threat".[548]
Israeli forces disguised as medical staff and civilians have shot dead three Palestinians inside a hospital in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Hospital says the men were ‘assassinated’. Israel says they belonged to a ‘Hamas terrorist cell’.[549] The BBC called them "members of Palestinian armed groups".[550] But, even if they are militants, it is a war crime to gadget them when wounded, and a war crime to impersonate doctors in the process.[551] According to UN exports, the killing of three Palestinian men in a hospital in the occupied West Bank by Israeli commandos disguised as medical workers and Muslim women may amount to war crimes.[552]
On 28 December, Mustafa Barghouti, the general-secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, stated Israel's raids across the West Bank were part of a plan to reoccupy the territory completely.[553] Residents of the West Bank were reportedly frustrated by the lack of international coverage of the incursions in the territory, stating it allowed the IDF "to operate with almost impunity".[554] Mohammad Shtayyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, stated Israel's financial pressure on the West Bank was an attempt to drive it from Gaza, and that "things might explode in the West Bank" if the worsening conditions were not addressed.[555] On 9 January, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned Israel military actions and settler violence were threatening to "push the West Bank into an uncontrollable cycle of violence".[556] Journalist Mohammed Jamjoom stated violent raids were "part of the fabric of daily life", with an average of 40 raids per day.[557]
On 16 January, Israel released the body of a toddler killed by Israeli soldiers nine days prior, leading the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to state, "What did they do with the body? Why did they keep it? Do they have the right to do so? And will they apologise to the child's family?"[558] Palestinians in the West Bank stated the Israeli army regularly used bulldozers to destroy roads and infrastructure, describing the process as a form of collective punishment.[559] Residents stated they believed Israel was attempting to turn them against the local resistance fighters.[560]
Following the International Court of Justice's issuance of provisional measures in the South Africa v. Israel case, residents of the West Bank expressed disappointment it did not call for an immediate ceasefire, and expressed fear "the ruling in The Hague means Israeli army and settler violence in the occupied West Bank could get even worse".[561] On 4 February, an advocate at Al-Haq stated, "The international community has given Israel [the green light] to do as it wishes without any form of accountability."[562] Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh stated, "We are not very far from an explosion".[563]
West Bank residents reported feeling they were being "forced into islands".[564] Nidal Naghnaghiyeh, a local official in the Jenin camp, stated that Israeli forces had a "systemic policy of killing young men" in Jenin.[565] The Palestinian Foreign Ministry stated Israeli checkpoints had turned the West Bank into a prison where Israeli forces and settlers could do whatever they want.[566] In a joint statement in April 2024, Al-Haq, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights stated, "Violent Israeli military and settler attacks have been escalating in intensity and scale".[567]
A report by Yesh Din noted a rise in settler violence in the West Bank since 7 October but that Israeli law enforcement had not filed a single indictment.[568] The Israeli military described the situation in the West Bank as "spiraling out of control".[569] B'Tselem stated that Israel was operating in the West Bank with an "open-fire" policy.[570] Israeli activists sought to prevent what they termed an unfolding ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.[571] Mistaclim, a group of Israeli activists, described settler violence as "Jewish terrorism".[572] In May 2024, Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed residents of the West Bank, stating, "We will turn you into ruins like in the Gaza Strip".[573] Outgoing General Yehuda Fox criticized Israeli settler violence in July 2024, stating, "This is not Judaism in my eyes. At least not the one I grew up with in my father and mother’s house. This is not the way of the Torah."[574]
Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated he was troubled by the use of military tactics, disproportionate force, and restrictions of movement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.[575] A United Nations official stated a lack of accountability and "egging on from Israeli officials" was leading to a rise in settler violence.[576] Micheál Martin, the Irish deputy prime minister, stated what was happening in the West Bank was "shocking" and a violation of international humanitarian law.[577] On 18 January, OHCHR called for an independent probe into the growing number of "unlawful" killings in the West Bank.[578] On 19 January, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned the West Bank was witnessing its highest levels of violence in "a tragic cycle of pain and suffering".[579] Mustafa Barghouti stated on 20 January that Israeli settlers' aim was ethnic cleansing.[580] Al-Baidar Organisation for Defending Bedouin Rights, a Bedouin civil rights group, stated their communities were being subjected to ethnic cleansing and forced displacement by Israeli soldiers and settlers.[581] UNICEF reported on 28 January that children were living in "constant fear and grief".[582]
In June 2024, Volker Türk stated, "It is unfathomable that so many lives have been taken in such a wanton fashion."[583] Later the same month, Türk stated, "The situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is dramatically deteriorating".[584]
On 2 September 2024, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, warned that "Israel's genocidal violence risks leaking out of Gaza and into the occupied Palestinian territory as a whole." She urged the international community, "made of both states and non-state actors, including companies and financial institutions", to "do everything it can to immediately end the risk of genocide against the Palestinian people under Israel’s occupation, ensure accountability and ultimately end Israel’s colonisation of Palestinian territory."[585]
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock stated Israel had a responsibility to protect Palestinians in the West Bank.[586] Melani Cammett, an American political scientist, stated on 18 January that the intensification of fighting in the West Bank indicated the war "is nowhere near over".[587] On 18 January, Australian foreign minister Penny Wong visited the occupied West Bank, stating, "Australia is deeply concerned by ongoing settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank".[588] On 1 March, USAID director Samantha Power stated, "Repeated attacks by extremist Israeli settlers... sent shock waves of fear. This violence is intolerable and must stop."[589] On 12 March, the Government of Jordan condemned the killing of two of their citizens in the West Bank, stating a young man had been "injured in the leg and the occupation forces left him bleeding inside the ambulance for more than an hour and a half before he died".[590]
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