Gaza To Jenin: How Israel Is Just Shifting Its “Logic Of War” To The West Bank

-Analysis-

PARIS – The ceasefire, though fragile, has been taking hold in Gaza since Sunday — and yet, Israel’s logic of war persists, shifting to the West Bank.

In the Palestinian city of Jenin, in the northern West Bank, the Israeli army and domestic intelligence service Shin Bet launched a large-scale military operation Tuesday that included air strikes. The operation, named “Steel Wall,” has been declared open-ended by the military, and has already resulted in at least 10 Palestinian deaths and 35 injuries. Additionally, three Palestinians were killed in incidents in East Jerusalem on Tuesday.

The city of Jenin is supposed to be under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority, as outlined in the autonomy agreements. However, the Israeli army enters at will whenever it perceives a threat. Clashes between armed groups and the Palestinian police have recently occurred there, but last week, the Palestinian Authority announced that an agreement had been reached with these groups to end the fighting.

The Israeli operation comes just four days after this agreement was concluded, acting as a clear rebuke to the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu’s justification 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed this operation as part of the fight against movements backed by Iran, whether in Gaza, Lebanon, or, as he put it, in “Judea and Samaria,” using the biblical terms for the West Bank.

They are often opposed to both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which they see as discredited.

It is unlikely that the armed groups that have appeared in Jenin recently have any connections with Iran. In recent years, a new generation of autonomous armed groups has emerged in the West Bank. These groups are not affiliated with any particular organization and are often opposed to both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which they see as discredited.

The reason for this operation is likely also related to the ceasefire and the hostage-for-prisoner exchange that began on Sunday. Among the prisoners to be released are around 200 Palestinians convicted of attacks. The Israeli authorities are demonstrating their strength to prevent any escalation, but also to appease the far-right faction that remains in the government in Israel.

Rising tensions 

The risk of escalation is very real: the situation is already highly tense in the West Bank. There are regular attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages — on Monday evening, armed and masked settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Al Funduq, setting houses and vehicles on fire. The army usually allows them to act with impunity.

We shouldn’t expect the ceasefire in Gaza to lead to any calm or even the beginning of a political solution

What these new tensions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem reveal more than anything is that we shouldn’t expect the ceasefire in Gaza to lead to any calm or even the beginning of a political solution.

None of that is on the agenda. Despite the departure from the government of one of the two far-right parties opposed to the Gaza agreement, the inexorable colonization of the West Bank has not abandoned.