West Bank: Israeli forces launch new operation

Israeli forces launched a major military operation in Tubas, in the northern West Bank on November 26th, according to a Reuters report.

Tubas Governor Ahmed Al-Asaad said the incursion quickly escalated, with troops surrounding neighbourhoods and deploying on rooftops. Al-Asaad told Reuters that Israeli forces, supported by a helicopter, had moved across multiple parts of the city.

“The incursion looks to be a long one; occupation (Israeli) forces have driven people from their houses, commandeered rooftops of buildings, and are conducting arrests,” he said. According to Al-Asaad, those forced out were informed they could not return until the operation concludes, which he expected could take several days.

Earlier this month on November 13th, it was reported that Tubas, along with other areas in the West Bank, was subjected to raids by Israeli occupational forces.

Israeli authorities have said their security forces are focused on confronting Palestinian militancy in the West Bank, an area where hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians who have limited self-rule under Israeli military occupation.

Hamas, which agreed to a ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, denounced the operation in Tubas and urged international intervention to stop it.

The Tubas assault appeared to extend a broader campaign first launched in the northern West Bank city of Jenin in January, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

That offensive has widened to additional northern West Bank areas, displacing more Palestinians and leading to the longest sustained Israeli military presence in parts of the territory in decades.

Israeli forces have also cleared multiple refugee camps across the region, with raids that have left roads and homes destroyed. This month, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity, alleging forced expulsions; Israel has rejected those accusations.

Violence across the West Bank has intensified in recent months. Palestinian communities have reported multiple attacks by Israeli settlers, who are seldom arrested or prosecuted.

The spike in settler violence has forced the hand of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of his government, who have been compelled to condemn the settler violence.

Many point to the fact that since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 2023, Israeli authorities have tightened restrictions on movement and increased raids throughout the West Bank.

However a report by Save The Children, published on September 18th 2023, revealed that 2023 was the deadliest year on record at the time for Palestinian children in the West Bank, highlighting the fact that Israel’s assault on the West Bank has been a consistent reality before and after October 7^th.

Reuters, Save The Children, Maghrebi.org