Multi-day Israeli raids leave Palestinians in the West Bank “in prison”

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and its forces regularly infiltrate Palestinian communities. But the current raids and comments by Israeli officials mark an escalation, residents say.

As the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip enters its twelfth month, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday that Israel must use its “full strength” to combat “the resurgence of terrorism” in the West Bank, which is separated from the Gaza Strip by Israeli territory.

“There is no other option, we have to use all our forces … with full force,” Gallant said.

In ongoing attacks in the northern West Bank, 36 Palestinians have been killed since last week, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Some of the dead have been claimed by militant groups as members. Israeli forces have also arrested dozens of Palestinians.

In the latest act of violence, five people were killed in an attack on a car in the Tubas region south of Jenin on Thursday, according to the Health Ministry. The military said it was targeting “armed terrorists”.

The presence of Israeli troops operating against militants in the West Bank has brought life in Jenin to a standstill, Naghnaghia said, adding that this is their longest deployment in decades.

“They force you to stay in the house instead of going out and living a normal life.”

Leaving the camp has become so dangerous that Naghnaghia spoke to an AFP correspondent on the phone even though they were both in the Jenin camp, just 600 meters apart.

In the camp's narrow streets, armored vehicles and bulldozers left a trail of devastation during the fighting.

Most residents have already moved away and sought safety elsewhere, Naghnaghia said.

The city of Jenin and the adjacent refugee camp have long been a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups fighting against Israel.

Although Hamas does not have a strong presence in the West Bank, opinion polls suggest that its popularity among Palestinians has increased during the Gaza war, which was sparked by the October 7 attack on Israel. Other militant groups, such as Islamic Jihad, are particularly active in the northern West Bank.

Years of repeated raids have made Jenin camp residents “experts” at waiting out attacks, says Naghnaghia, who has stocked up on food for several days.

But now he fears it might not last long enough.

“We are planning for two to three days, not one or two weeks,” he said.

On Monday, Israeli troops searched the family home, where about 20 of Naghnaghia's relatives, including children, were staying.

Before they left, he reported, one of the soldiers in the house fired a shot at the ceiling.

The 56-year-old said he did not know why the troops were there.

In the city of Jenin, 68-year-old Fadwa Dababneh has her groceries delivered by ambulance. Other vehicles have largely disappeared from the streets due to gunfire, and many roads have been dug up by bulldozers.

As for the water bottles, “we made an agreement with the Red Crescent car, they gave us some,” she said.

Paramedics treat the injured, but now also deliver food and other essential items or help residents with necessary trips around the city.

A woman who wished to remain anonymous told AFP she had to take an ambulance to get to the hospital for a routine check-up.

“Look at this – so much destruction, so much devastation. People are really exhausted,” she said.

The military operations have forced health workers to rapidly change the way they work. Some can no longer travel home as freely as before and are now working 24-hour shifts.

“To leave the hospital now, we need permission or have to coordinate with an ambulance because the area we are in is dangerous,” said Moayad Khalifeh, a 29-year-old doctor near the Jenin camp.

He works at Al-Amal, a maternity hospital that has begun admitting those injured in the attacks.

“Most of the activities, clashes and blockades are taking place right on our doorstep,” Khalifeh said.

The hospital's director, Mohammad al-Ardeh, was unable to reach the facility for a week due to the fighting and instead managed operations by phone. Some staff were also unable to come to work, he told AFP.

To make matters worse, the water supply has been interrupted “maybe six or seven times” since last week and there have been frequent power outages.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 661 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

According to Israeli authorities, at least 23 Israelis, including security forces, were killed in Palestinian attacks in the area during the same period.

lba/jd/ami