While the world’s attention remains fixed on Gaza, a storm is brewing in the occupied West Bank. On Wednesday, August 28, Israel unleashed a fierce military assault on the regions of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas. The Israeli army, armed with an arsenal of tanks, bulldozers, drones, and fighter jets, descended upon these areas with a clear mission: to crush the Palestinian resistance.
The toll was immediate and devastating. At least 18 Palestinians lost their lives, with dozens more wounded in the onslaught. But the violence didn’t stop there. In a chilling echo of the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz called for the forced evacuation of Palestinians from the northern West Bank. The army, in a thinly veiled euphemism, announced a “voluntary evacuation”.
This rhetoric of forced expulsion, masquerading under the humanitarian guise of “evacuation”, has stoked fears that the West Bank may soon share Gaza’s fate of mass destruction and displacement. If realized, this would mark a significant escalation in the Israeli government’s strategy of gradual Palestinian dispossession in the West Bank – a strategy implemented through direct military means and settler attacks.
The roots of this crisis run deep. For years, the Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the West Bank, attempting to stamp out a growing armed resistance movement fueled by popular anger against the Israeli occupation. These incursions have not only targeted resistance fighters but have also claimed civilian lives and razed infrastructure in Palestinian communities. A clear act of collective punishment.
Since October 7, the situation has spiraled. According to the UN, Israeli forces have killed over 600 Palestinians in the West Bank. But the violence isn’t solely state-sanctioned. Emboldened by government support, Jewish settlers have dramatically increased their attacks on Palestinian communities. In the first ten months of the war, the UN recorded a staggering 1,250 settler attacks, resulting in Palestinian deaths, injuries, and damage to infrastructure. More than 1,200 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced by these settler incursions, with an additional 3,000 displaced due to home demolitions by the Israeli military.
As tensions escalate and violence becomes a daily reality, the West Bank teeters on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. The question now is not if, but when, this powder keg will explode – and what the international community will do to prevent it.
Stranglehold on Daily Life
The Israeli government’s strategy extends far beyond military action. It has weaponized every lever of colonial control to make life unbearable for the Palestinian population.
For years, Israel has restricted Palestinian mobility within the occupied West Bank, constructing “Jews-only” roads, segregation walls, and checkpoints throughout the territory. Since October 7, this stranglehold has tightened dramatically. The number of Israeli checkpoints, roadblocks, and gates has skyrocketed from about 200 in October to more than 800 by early June. Some roads connecting communities are open only for limited hours, while flying checkpoints appear out of nowhere, often without any legitimate security justification.
The impact on daily life is profound. This restricted mobility is crippling the already fragile Palestinian economy. Food trucks and other essential goods are frequently stuck at Israeli checkpoints for hours, driving up both costs and delivery times. As a result, food prices have soared since October 7.
Assault on Agriculture and Resources
Agriculture, once a source of pride and self-sufficiency for Palestinians, is under systematic attack. Israel is actively preventing Palestinians from using their lands for farming, often through encouraged settler violence.
Control over vital resources, particularly water, is another weapon in Israel’s arsenal. By diverting water from Palestinian towns and villages to illegal Jewish settlements, Israel has created a water crisis across the occupied territory. Since October 7, colonial authorities have deliberately worsened the situation by further restricting water supply.
As local economies and agriculture wither, Palestinians face a grim economic reality. The poverty rate has skyrocketed from 40% before October 7 to an estimated 60%, according to the United Nations Development Programme. This sharp increase means many families can no longer afford food and other necessities, forcing them to rely on humanitarian aid agencies for survival.
Psychological Warfare and Physical Violence
Israel’s war against Palestinians in the West Bank goes beyond destroying property and livelihoods. It targets their mental well-being through constant surveillance, harassment, and physical violence.
Israeli colonial authorities monitor every aspect of Palestinians’ personal lives through vast networks of surveillance cameras, telecommunications interception, and control of internet and other technologies, including facial recognition. Since October 7, this surveillance has only intensified, with Israeli security forces making sure people know they’re being watched.
A Strategy of Expulsion
The ultimate goal of this continuous harassment, surveillance, deprivation of livelihoods, degradation of living standards, physical violence, and killings is clear: to drive Palestinians out of the West Bank, just as Israel’s ultimate goal in Gaza is to expel the Palestinian population.
This quest for the total elimination of the Palestinian population from historical Palestine will not cease even if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government were to fall.
The lack of international action to stop the genocide in Gaza and the West Bank has shocked Palestinians but has not made them capitulate. If anything, Israel’s violent assault in the northern West Bank is a sign that Palestinians have chosen resistance even in the face of overwhelming genocidal force.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, the international community faces a moral imperative to act. The question remains: will the world intervene before it’s too late, or will it stand by as another humanitarian catastrophe unfolds in the heart of the Middle East?
Dan ROMEO