As Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and skirmishes with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border continue to escalate, tensions are also mounting in the occupied West Bank. This situation suggests that the already volatile region could become a third front in a broader conflict against the Israeli occupation forces.
Prolonged Conflict in Gaza
For the 14th consecutive day, Israel wages a bloody war in Gaza, resulting in approximately 4,000 Palestinian casualties and widespread destruction. Palestinian resistance factions, including the Al-Qassam Brigades, initiated an operation named “Al-Aqsa Storm” on October 7th. According to Israeli sources, more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, and many have been captured in the process.
Western Concerns
As Israel prepares for a potential ground invasion of Gaza, the West Bank experiences incursions and arrests that Palestinian youth are resisting. Simultaneously, there are confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese border. Western nations, which are generally supportive of Israel, fear a more extensive conflict that could open up multiple fronts, including South Lebanon and potentially the West Bank.
Violence and Arrests
Since October 7th, more than 70 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the West Bank, and over 800 have been arrested. Palestinian officials reported that Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on a refugee camp in the West Bank last Thursday, resulting in 12 deaths. Israel acknowledged the death of one of its police officers in the operation. The Israeli military says it is on high alert, preparing to thwart potential attacks, some of which may be orchestrated by Hamas operatives in the West Bank.
A Rising Appetite for Armed Struggle
Protests in support of Hamas have broken out in Ramallah, where demonstrators appear to have a growing appetite for armed struggle. Salah, a 20-year-old protestor, said, “Everyone here is defending Gaza. Those who can throw stones should, and those who have weapons should use them. The authority should let people confront the occupation. Give us weapons, and you will see what we can do.”
Palestinian Leaders Weigh In
Leading figures like Mufaq Sahwil, a senior member of the Fatah movement, affirm that international laws and treaties give Palestinians the right to defend themselves using all available means. Others, like Nizar Al-Maghribi, a business owner, express reluctance to engage in armed struggle despite their discontent with the Israeli assault on Gaza.
A Complex Landscape and Limiting Agreements
While Hamas controls the besieged Gaza Strip, the West Bank presents a more complex landscape of hilly cities, Israeli settlements, and military checkpoints that disrupt Palestinian communities. The views on the usefulness of “resistance” differ between the Palestinian Authority’s headquarters in Ramallah and impoverished, marginalized areas. One of the major limiting factors for resistance activities is the agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas, who condemns the Israeli attacks on Gaza while suppressing protests.
as Israel faces potential conflicts on multiple fronts, the escalating tensions in the West Bank highlight the complexity and volatility of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian struggle.
