“Israeli” Forces Ramp Up Raids and Demolition Campaigns in West Bank as Clashes Escalate

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” military operations have escalated across several areas of the occupied West Bank, as Palestinians grow increasingly concerned about the threat of mass evictions in their cities.

Late Monday, “Israeli forces conducted multiple raids throughout the West Bank, with local media reporting a surge in military activities. These operations included exchanges of gunfire in Qalqilya, where “Israeli” forces targeted Palestinians, and clashes in Jenin, where Palestinian fighters engaged with “Israeli” troops.

Additional confrontations were reported at the Balata refugee camp near Nablus, while operations also took place in the northern West Bank towns of Kafr ad-Dik and Ya'bad, south of Jenin.

As tensions continue to rise across the West Bank, a deep sense of anxiety spreads through Palestinian communities, especially in light of fears about widespread evictions. These fears have been amplified by the recent re-election of former US President Donald Trump, whose return to power has reignited concerns about the acceleration of settlement expansion and forced displacements.

In the lead-up to the election, Trump repeatedly voiced strong support for “Israeli” settlement policies, emboldening the “Israeli” entity to step up evictions, particularly in areas seen as strategically important for future settlement developments.

Evictions in the West Bank, particularly in East al-Quds [“Jerusalem”], remain a painful chapter in the “Israeli”-Palestinian conflict.

Many Palestinians are being forced from their homes despite possessing ownership documents dating back over a century. This recurring pattern of displacement echoes the trauma experienced by previous generations, with families facing destruction of their homes and livelihood.

Trump's "Peace to Prosperity" plan, unveiled during his first term, was widely criticized for prioritizing “Israeli” interests and disregarding Palestinian rights. Analysts predict that a return to similar policies could have severe consequences, intensifying evictions and escalating violence.

During Trump's tenure, ambassadors reaffirmed the administration’s unwavering commitment to the “Israeli” entity's security, portraying settlement expansion as a natural right of “Israel” to develop its territory.

In 2017, Mike Huckabee, Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to the “Israeli” entity, further fueled this narrative, declaring that the West Bank should be referred to as “Judea and Samaria”, calling settlements "communities" and denying the existence of an occupation.

A report by the activist group Peace Now revealed that, in the past year, 227 Palestinian families have been evicted in the West Bank. This coincides with the “Israeli” entity’s approval of over 8,600 settler units and increased funding for settler projects.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, since the onset of the Gaza conflict, more than 760 Palestinians have been martyred in the West Bank by “Israeli” forces or extremist Jewish settlers.