Settler violence: Displacement and peace challenges

With the world preoccupied with the ongoing war in Gaza, the Israeli government is exploiting this distraction to intensify its repressive campaign against Palestinians in the West Bank, where killings, arrests and the systematic destruction of infrastructure are on the rise. 

This campaign is not limited to armed confrontations, but also includes home demolitions, land confiscations and settlement expansion, which exacerbates the suffering of Palestinians and increases pressure on them to leave their lands.

Mass arrests have become a prominent feature, as Israeli forces storm cities and villages at night and arrest young men and men, in an attempt to quell any potential resistance. In parallel, the infrastructure in the West Bank is being systematically destroyed, including home demolitions, uprooting trees, and sabotaging water and electricity networks, which deepens the humanitarian crisis and makes daily life for Palestinians more difficult.

Through these measures, the Israeli government seeks to impose a new reality on the ground, exploiting the state of chaos and international preoccupation in Gaza, to expand the area of ​​settlement and reduce the geographical space available to Palestinians in the West Bank. 

These policies further complicate the situation in the region and distance the prospects of achieving any just peaceful settlement. The West Bank is witnessing a dangerous escalation in the dangers of Israeli settlers and the resulting systematic displacement of Palestinians from their lands.

This escalation comes with clear support from the Israeli government, which increases tensions and complicates the prospects of reaching a political solution that ends the decades-long conflict. Recently, attacks by settlers against Palestinians have increased, and these attacks include physical assaults, destruction of property and burning of agricultural land, and aim to terrorise the Palestinian population and push them to leave their lands. 

Human rights reports indicate that these attacks often take place under the protection of the Israeli army, which reinforces the settlers’ sense of immunity and prompts them to continue their aggressive actions. The Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu has announced policies and legislative measures aimed at legalising and expanding settlement activities. 

Among these policies is a law that allows the confiscation of private Palestinian land under the pretext of “security needs”, in addition to providing funding and logistical support for the construction of new settlements deep inside the West Bank. These measures clearly reflect the Israeli government’s intention to establish a new settlement reality that undermines any chance of establishing an independent Palestinian state.

The settlement escalation is accompanied by forced displacement of Palestinians from their villages and homes.

The Israeli authorities resort to various methods to pressure Palestinians to leave their lands, including refusing to issue building permits to Palestinians and demolishing homes built without permits.

 At the same time, settlements are granted building and expansion permits easily and quickly, creating an imbalance that serves only the interests of the settlers. In some cases, entire Palestinian families are displaced from areas that the Israeli authorities consider “closed military zones” without providing them with any housing alternatives. 

The forced displacement of Palestinians from their lands is not limited to losing their homes only but extends to affecting their social and economic lives. Palestinians rely heavily on agriculture as their main source of livelihood, and with the loss of their lands, they become unable to secure their daily sustenance. Displacement also leads to the dispersion of families and the disintegration of local communities, as Palestinians find themselves forced to search for new places of residence far from their original areas. This fragmentation deepens the crisis of identity and belonging among the younger generations who are born and growing up in an environment of instability and injustice.

The escalation of violence and displacement in the West Bank reinforces Israel’s isolation internationally, as criticism from the international community increases for these policies that violate human rights and threaten peace in the region.

 However, Israel seems to be continuing with its policies without considering these criticisms, which further complicates the situation and distances the prospects of achieving any future political solution.

The continuation of these policies will only lead to more violence and instability in the region, and the Palestinians will continue to pay the greatest price for these aggressive policies.

In the face of this dangerous escalation in the settlement and displacement policies pursued by Israel, the international community remains required to take a firmer and stricter stance. It is no longer sufficient to issue statements of condemnation and denunciation; rather, the situation requires actual action to activate international resolutions that affirm the rights of Palestinians to their lands and condemn settlement expansion operations that constitute a flagrant violation of international law. 

There must be strong international pressure on Israel to stop these aggressive practices and hold those responsible accountable. Arab and Islamic countries should also intensify their diplomatic efforts to support the Palestinian cause at all levels.

They should use their political and economic influence to pressure the international community to take firmer positions and expose Israeli practices to world public opinion. These efforts should not be seasonal or linked to specific events but should be part of a sustainable strategy to support Palestinian rights.

Finally, the escalation of settler violence and displacement policies in the West Bank pose a threat not only to the Palestinians, but to any future chance for peace in the region. As long as international justice continues to be absent, the occupation and settlements will remain the biggest obstacles to achieving the Palestinian people’s aspirations for freedom and independence.

Hasan Dajah is professor of strategic studies at Al Hussein Bin Talal University