West bank: Following the Gaza ceasefire, Israel has turned its military and political focus toward the occupied West Bank, escalating actions that analysts say amount to ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the dismantling of future Palestinian statehood.
According to Anadolu Agency, on Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset passed a bill in its preliminary reading to annex the occupied West Bank, as Israeli forces and settlers intensify operations across the territory, including raids, arrests, demolitions, and settlement expansion. Mohamad Alqeeq, a political analyst based in Ramallah, explained that the Israeli government is pursuing two parallel paths of escalation in the West Bank - one led by settlers and the other by the Israeli army.
Alqeeq described how Israeli settlers are carrying out attacks against Palestinians and their properties, vandalizing agricultural crops, burning homes and cars. The Israeli government reportedly protects settlers during these attacks by invading Palestinian areas and arresting anyone who stands up to them. He further noted that Israel is increasing pressure on Palestinians to leave their land, water springs, and pasture areas to make way for a settler state.
The second path involves the Israeli army conducting numerous military operations in the heart of cities like Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, and Hebron, disrupting daily life for Palestinians and pushing them toward uncertainty about their future.
Since the Oct. 10 ceasefire in Gaza, the West Bank has witnessed a surge in Israeli raids, including arrests, shootings, and property destruction. Last week, Israeli army forces reportedly detained 35 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, while also carrying out demolitions with at least 70 houses facing such risk. Illegal Israeli settlers have executed 7,154 assaults on Palestinians and their properties over the past two years, resulting in 34 deaths, according to rights groups.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, more than 1,056 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the West Bank, with over 20,000 others detained, Palestinian figures show. Taghreed El-Khodary, a former visiting scholar in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment, remarked on Israel's policy in the West Bank as a "slow-motion ethnic cleansing."
El-Khodary highlighted that there has long been de facto annexation in the West Bank, and that Israel is now trying to legalize it. She emphasized that the movement for Palestinians in Area A is becoming extremely difficult, further complicating their daily lives.
Experts have also pointed to heightened provocations in occupied East Jerusalem, following multiple instances of far-right Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Additionally, the Israeli Knesset passed a bill to annex the Ma'ale Adumim settlement built on Palestinian land east of Jerusalem.
According to Alqeeq, Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza have been barred from praying at Al-Aqsa, while Israeli authorities continue restricting building permits and demolishing Palestinian homes. Alqeeq warned of the potential for regional unrest stemming from these actions, emphasizing the importance of the Jordanian guardianship and the role of the Palestinian Authority at the mosque.
Experts caution that the escalating violence in the West Bank could jeopardize the fragile Gaza ceasefire. El-Khodary noted that the situation risks undermining the ceasefire, as neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his coalition has a political interest in maintaining it. She pointed out that while Washington appears keen for the ceasefire to hold, Israeli actions may disrupt it.
Analysts say annexing the West Bank would end the prospect of a two-state solution as envisioned by UN resolutions. Alqeeq explained that Israel's intentions have been evident since the Oslo Accords, with successive actions isolating Palestinian territories. The Knesset annexation bill has drawn international backlash, with several nations rejecting the move and European officials issuing warnings to Israel over its declared annexation plans.