The Israeli army, which has occupied the West Bank since 1967, has carried out almost daily operations through this Palestinian territory, particularly in the sectors of Jenine and Nablouse, Bastions of Armed Palestinian factions, explains the specialist Dominique Vidal. >
words collected by Clémence Apetogbor
Thursday 26 and Friday 27 January, in the West Bank and Gaza, at least ten Palestinians were killed in Israeli operations, the last of which was presented as a response to Hamas strikes. It is the deadliest sequence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the outbreak of violence between the Israeli army and Islamic jihad in Gaza during which 49 Palestinians at least, among which combatants, but also civilians, including children, died in three days of August 2022.
Thursday’s deaths bring to thirty the number of Palestinians, civilians or members of armed groups, killed since the beginning of the year in violence with Israeli forces or civilians.
Dominique Vidal, independent journalist and member of the office of the Middle East Mediterranean Research and Mediterranean Studies, explains the reasons for this revival of violence observed in recent days in the occupied West Bank.
How to explain this revival of violence, which have reached an unrivaled level since the second Intifada (2000-2005)?
The most important factor is the inauguration of the new Israeli government of Benyamin Netanyahu [combining right -wing, far -right and ultraorthodox Jewish parties], which is composed for the first time racist Jewish supremacists and racist and racist supremacists homophobic.
These, thanks to the alliance with the Likoud [Benjamin Netanyahu’s party], not only have an important group at Knesset [the Parliament], but have also been offered key ministries, like that of Internal security, with its head [the Jewish supremacist] Itamar Ben Gvir, and that of finance, which is in charge of [the religious ultra -nationalist] Bezalel Smotrich, on which also depends the civil management of the West Bank.
Since its appointment, the government has chosen to apply a “strong hand” policy, a hard line with a desire to hit hard. It should be noted that these events are also part of a context of violence rooted for many years.
Why did the raids focus on the Jénine refugee camp?
Jenine has been in siege for months [the army has been working there every week for a year]. The concentration of operations like that of Thursday in this camp is linked to the resistance opposed to the Israeli army by the jenine brigades, made up of young Palestinians who decided to resort to arms again, not by leading suicide bombers Israel but by opting for a form of armed struggle against Israeli soldiers.
Jénine was also a martyred city in 2002 during the second intifada. The camp had been completely destroyed by bulldozers. In total, the operation had left 52 dead among the Palestinians, including around twenty civilians [she had also cost the lives of 23 Israeli soldiers]. ?
The accumulation of violence and the number of deaths, especially minors or elderly people, are significant. These elements obviously risk igniting the entire West Bank. However, since 2005, international commentators regularly announce a third intifada, but I am wary of this type of “forecast”.