The attack on the West Bank – Not in our name

The Israeli government has been accelerating plans for West Bank settlement expansion during the whole period of its war on Gaza. It has also massively escalated offensives against Palestinian resistance groups in the West Bank, causing hundreds of deaths. Property demolitions have doubled. Settler violence has been escalating in parallel.

Israel’s declared motive for its offensives policy is to suppress expected terrorist attacks. However, the continued settlement expansion makes it clear that much of its motive is to expand settlements under cover of the war on Gaza.

Settlement Expansion

At least 25 new outposts have been established, most of them agricultural outposts (“farms“) involved in the land takeover and systematic expulsion of Palestinians from the area.

Dozens of roads, estimated to stretch tens of kilometres, have been paved to establish new outposts and seize additional lands.

More than 24,000 dunams were declared as “state land,” nearly half of the total area declared as state land since the Oslo Accords until now.

Plans for nearly 9,000 housing units in settlements have been promoted by the Higher Planning Council.

The cabinet approved the establishment of 5 new settlements, all illegal outposts intended to become official settlements.

The Supreme Planning Council approved plans to legalise three outposts as “neighbourhoods” of existing settlements. 70 illegal outposts were recognized as eligible for governmental funding and infrastructure, including constructing public buildings connected to water, electricity and other services.

Settlers entered a house in Hebron they claimed to have purchased from Palestinians. Their entry was facilitated by a “transaction permit” granted by a government office. Additionally, a plan was published for a new settlement with 234 housing units in Hebron, north of Kiryat Arba.

Israeli offensives, property demolitions and settler violence

The Israeli offensives have caused many deaths. More than 650 Palestinians were killed – one-third more than in all of 2023. About 20 Israelis were killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem- a reduction of about 15% from all of 2023. Attacks in Israel by Palestinians from the West Bank resulted in the killing of ten Israelis and seven Palestinian perpetrators.

Israeli authorities destroyed, demolished, confiscated, or forced the demolition of nearly 1,500 Palestinian structures across the West Bank. Nearly 3,500 Palestinians, including about 1,500 children, were displaced – more than double the displacement recorded during the equivalent period before 7 October.

There were about 1,300 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, of which over 120 led to Palestinian fatalities and injuries, about 1,000 led to damage to Palestinian property, and over 140 led to both casualties and property damage. The Israeli authorities take little action to prevent these attacks or to apprehend the perpetrators.