The scale and sheer horror of the war in Gaza has rightly captured the world’s attention. But surging violence in the occupied West Bank should sound the alarm too. Last year was the bloodiest since 2005. This year is worse. Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, has called the situation “potentially explosive”, warning of the intensification of violence and severe discrimination against Palestinians. According to UN data, more than 450 have been killed by Israeli security forces or settlers this year, the majority following the Hamas massacre on 7 October. Twenty-eight Israelis in the West Bank have been killed by Palestinians in 2023.
Raids on the Jenin refugee camp continued on Thursday, with a densely packed population living in fear and with access to healthcare severely affected, according to charities. Such operations have repeatedly led to the deaths of civilians – including children and the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch warned of “systematic impunity” for the killing of Palestinian children. The new wave of armed resistance has emerged in recent years amid the failure of Palestinian political leadership, anger over security force abuses and settler violence, despair at the unending occupation and the shrinking prospect of a two-state solution as illegal settlements expand.
