Inside Israel’s ‘Gazafication’ of the West Bank

The initial report of the military military of Israel was brief and ambiguous. “The [Israeli air force] He hit a terrorist room in the area of ​​Tammun. Details to follow. “

It was wrong too. In fact, drone strikes in the hill town to the north West bank Iman killed three Palestinian cousins ​​of eight, 10 and 23 years, just as SL Dalu gathered on the street just meters away from the front door.

When Visarat ran out of the moment, he was confronted with the total horror scene. His son Hamza’s body was trimmed with shapel. His cousin Rada’s head was cut off and some parts of his brain were spreading. The third cousin Adam attracted his final breath to his arm.

“There was a huge boom, as the whole sky was exploding … there was Shapel everywhere,” he said. “Blood … whatever I saw. It was like the scene of the Gaza in front of me.”

The strike – on January 8 – the Israeli army said that the investigation was investigated and was sent to the military advocate general for review – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was part of a wide range of extension, which has spread to the west bank, which has been transmitted to the west bank in two decades.

Although Israel’s power is not comparable to the destructiveness that has its use in this region Gaza In response to the Hamas attack on October 1, 2021, the Israeli military has dramatically intensified its activities on the West Bank for the past six months.

In the process, it has deployed growing strategies and weapons that have often been used in Gaza, but which has not been seen on the West Bank for years – human rights surveillance and assistance groups encourage a “gazication” of Israeli activities in the region.

After a 17-year-old break, the military has resumed airstrikes on the West Bank, using dozens of attacks using drones, but the helicopter gunfire and at least in one case-a fighter jet. And earlier this year, it deployed the tank for the first time for more than 20 years, as it launched an operation against militants at the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulakerem and Noor Shams.

Taken by the new approach NetanyahIts government-Israeli is widely seen as the most right-wing in history-it has done a heavy damage. According to the UN humanitarian arm Ocha, Israeli forces have killed more than 5 people on the west bank since October 1, the most severe year for Palestinians since the beginning of UN data in 2021 and 2021. The Palestinians killed 12 Israelis in the region.

However, the statistics of the accident are only part of the story. The Israeli expedition also destroyed the infrastructure, forces have torn the roads and destroyed the houses and displaced thousands of people. And with this there are restrictions on the movement and the economic pressure, which has increased daily life for 1.5 million Palestinians on the West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s lawyer and former adviser Diana Battu said, “The Israelites are looking for what the Israelites are looking for.” All of this is a process of sending a message to the Palestinians that they need unconditional surrender. “

Israeli officials say that the Palestinian authorities-which are applied to some parts of the region-need this propaganda on the West Bank to roots militants from those regions.

The military has said that the use of its airstrikes – which resumed in June 2021, but the October increased drastically later on October – the reaction to the “growing threat” that the militants raised, were reflected in the intensity of their conflict with Israeli forces and international law.

Former IDF intelligence officer Michael Millsten said that in addition to the greater use of weapons like militant developed explosive devices, the October was also part of the change in Israeli protection circles after October.

“This is a lesson that many people have learned: you can’t challenge or threatened [develop]The Immediately when you identify it you need to take a tough and very sight strong response, ”he said.

However, others say that the enhanced use of the ball is governed by Israeli politics. Netanyahu’s alliance is the ultimate settlement of Bezalel Smotrich and Ben-Jivir, the two far right groups led by Ben-JV, who are turning to the West Bank and repeatedly claimed that Netanyahu would take more aggressive views in the region.

Just two days after the government agreed to a temporary ceasefire in Gaza in January, a new operation was launched on the West Bank-Ben-GV and Smotrich had some strong opposition.

Ibrahim Dalalasa, director of the Political Studies Horizon Center in Ramallah, said, “There are a few reasons effective, but it also has political optics.” “The use of the F -1 against the cotton camp was not only due to operational causes, because they could use a drone. It was like using a cannon to kill a fly.”

In fact, human rights groups consider Israel’s activities on the West Bank as unnecessary. Last month, the UN Human Rights Office has been accused of “anxious negligence for the life of Palestinians” and “illegal killing” in the region, arguing that its steps under the applicable legal structure cannot be fair.

“International human rights law is applicable to the application of force in the law enforcement operations as there is no enmity on the West Bank,” it said in a statement. “Instead, Israel now regularly resort to use the techniques and weapons developed for the war, including airlines and installations of tanks.”

Aitan Diamond and senior lawyer experts at the International Human Law Center in Jerusalem and senior lawyers, Aitan Diamond and senior lawyers, said, “Refugee camps, roads – it depends on the displacement of the entire communities and destroying the infrastructure they depend on them.”

However, it is not just the greater power of the military that has transformed life into the west bank. From October E October, the military has also set up dozens of new barriers and roadblock across the region, the number of “movement of movement” according to the OCHA has brought more than 800, and has turned a short trip several hours into a long, unexpected Odyssey.

Meanwhile, the violence of Jewish settlers on the west bank has increased. According to the OCHA, October from October 1, settlers have launched more than 2,220 attacks on Palestinians, which resulted in the loss of locals or property, disrupting the olive crop, damaged livelihoods and forced several Bedouins and feathers.

Leaders have assumed that the October of Palestinians from October several thousand dunams from the October October of the settlers, the expansion of the settlers, the disposal, access restrictions and the land.

For locals like Virat, the combination has been overwhelming. Prior to the war, he used to travel to Nablas, one of the main cities in the north of the west bank, which is only 20 km from Tammoon. But now, he doesn’t dare. Risk – attacking by settlers, facing the army, or holding a few hours at the checkpoint – this is very great.

“Anything that is unpredictable can be a disaster every time we leave home every time we leave, even if it is just for buying something, it is like a big risk where the God knows what will happen,” he said.

“But the problem is that you have this fear now while you are at home. If they kill our kids, they can escape with something else without any reason.”

By cartography Steve BernardBy data visualization Aditi Bhandari