‘The situation in Gaza is a calamity. But please do not forget the West Bank’. HIRN
There are normally thousands of Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, but since 7th October almost all the regular army has been transferred to Gaza. To fill this military vacuum, the Israeli government has armed thousands of illegal settlers, and many are now in IDF uniform too. Although the regular army had always supported settler violence against Palestinians, there is now no buffer at all between very violent, well-armed settlers and the unarmed, unprotected Palestinian population. On top of this, the IDF and settlers have imposed severe movement restrictions across much of the West Bank, preventing people and goods from moving.
This is creating a humanitarian and economic crisis in the West Bank, on top of the genocide in Gaza. Many West Bank communities are short of food, water, medicines and other essential supplies. Universities and most schools are closed and tens of thousands of Palestinians have lost their permits to work in Israel. And to make matters worse, much of this year’s olive harvest (which normally takes place in October) has been lost as the heightened settler and military violence has prevented Palestinians from accessing their land. This will have serious repercussions, as the olive harvest provides about 40% of the West Bank economy. And in Bethlehem (as well as Jerusalem and the Galilee), where Christmas normally provides a much needed tourism boost to the Palestinian economy, as well as spiritual and cultural life, all public festivities have been cancelled out of solidarity and respect for the even worse suffering of people in Gaza.
Even before 7th October, 2023 had been the most deadly year for West Bank Palestinians since at least 2008. To date, nearly 500 Palestinians have been killed, including over a hundred children; nearly half of these killings occurring since 7th October. And around 3000 people, including 400 children have been injured. Hamas enjoyed little support in the West Bank before 7th October, and the level of violence against West Bank Palestinians throughout this year gives the lie to Israel’s oft repeated claim that its actions are self-defense and aimed at dealing with Hamas. Clearly this is a new phase of the ongoing Nakba.
But the killings are not the only story. Over 3,500 West Bank Palestinians have been forcibly displaced so far this year, about half of them children. About a third have had their homes demolished by the Israeli administration, whilst the rest have been forced from their land by settler or military violence. About half of this displacement occurred in the 9 months before 7th October, including many people from the Masafer Yatta region that the Israeli High Court of Justice approved as a military firing zone in May 2022 – a judgement that has been denounced as a war crime by the Francesca Albenese (UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine) and other international legal experts. But with the average number of daily settler attacks doubling since 7th October, most of them aided and abetted by Israeli soldiers, a similar number of people have been displaced in just a few weeks. Most of them are Bedouin livestock herders; people whose great grandparents fought with the British alongside T.E. Lawrence, and helped Britain win the First World War.
Several West Bank villages have been completely emptied including Al Radeem, Zanuta, Atiriyah, A’nizan, Maqtal Msalam and Al Qanoob. And many others have been partially depopulated, whilst other families trying to hold on are at great risk. In Zanuta, in the South Hebron Hills, all 27 families (250 people) were forced to leave after multiple settler attacks in late October. Abu Khaled, a Zanuta resident said
‘’settlers attacked us destroying our homes, water tanks, solar panels, and cars. I made the hardest decision in my life: to leave Zanuta and leave everything behind, as memories. I did this to protect my children.”
The settlers also burned the village school.
In Hebron’s old city (H2), 750 Palestinian families have been under a severe military curfew since 7th October, allowed out of their homes for only a few hours each week. They are short of food and water. HIRN*, is responding, finding ways to get supplies into these families.
A further issue is the plight of thousands of Gazan workers who were working (with permits) in Israel. They were rounded up by the IDF after 7th October and dumped in the West Bank. Local people have accommodated many of these Gazans, and HIRN has been helping to provide food and clothing. Now the Israelis have started rounding them up again, severely beating and humiliating them and some of their West Bank hosts. Some are being sent back to Gaza, whilst others are joining the thousands of Palestinian political prisoners who are being severely illtreated in Israeli prisons.
HIRN is a Palestinian-run grassroots organization that supports the most vulnerable Palestinian communities in the West Bank: those in Area C and Hebron. HIRN is responding to the current crisis by providing tents, food parcels, medicines, animal fodder and other emergency aid to the most affected communities.
Help Palestinians in the West Bank by donating to this fundraiser for HIRN West Bank crisis – fundraiser for HIRN Or you can make a regular donation to HIRN here
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