Israeli forces intensify raids, demolition campaign in West Bank amid clashes

The Israeli military has carried out raids in several areas across the occupied West Bank as Palestinians express growing concerns over mass evictions in their cities.

Israeli forces conducted multiple raids across cities and towns in the West Bank late Monday, as local media reported an escalation in military operations.

The incidents include gunfire exchanged in Qalqilya, where Israeli forces targeted Palestinians, and in Jenin, where Palestinian fighters engaged in clashes with Israeli troops.

Additionally, clashes erupted at the Balata refugee camp near Nablus, while operations were also reported in the towns of Kafr ad-Dik in the northern West Bank and Ya'bad south of Jenin.

As tensions escalate across the West Bank, a wave of anxiety sweeps through Palestinian communities amid fears of widespread evictions, especially following the recent re-election of former US President Donald Trump.

His return to power rekindles fears of intensified settlement expansion and displacement.

In the months leading up to the election, Trump reiterated his unwavering support for Israel’s settlement policies, which will make the Israeli regime feel empowered to accelerate evictions, particularly in areas that are seen as strategic for future settlement developments.

The issue of evictions is a painful chapter in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with many Palestinians in the West Bank, including East al-Quds, facing court orders to leave their homes for what the Israeli regime deems to be 'legal' settlements, aimed at displacing communities to enhance Israeli sovereignty in disputed territories.

Palestinians who have ownership documents tracing back to 100 years ago are facing eviction notice every day in the West Bank, which reflects a similar ordeal they endured years ago when their property was demolished, leaving them destitute.

Two Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank as Israel continues raids

Israeli military forces have shot and killed two Palestinians, including a teenager, during a raid on the occupied town of Ya’bad in the northern West Bank.

Trump's so-called "Peace to Prosperity" plan, unveiled during his first term, was widely criticized for favoring Israeli interests and dismissing the rights and claims of Palestinian residents. Analysts predict that a return to similar policies could have dire consequences, accelerating a pattern of evictions and increased violence.

Ambassadors during Trump's tenure have emphasized the administration’s commitment to Israel’s security, framing settlement expansion as a natural extension of Israeli rights to develop their territory.

In 2017, during a visit to Palestinian territories, Mike Huckabee, who is nominated by Trump as the US ambassador to Israel, declared, "There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria," referring to the West Bank by its Israeli term.

He also added, “There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.”

In a report by the activist organization Peace Now, it has been revealed that over the past year, 227 Palestinian families have faced eviction in the territory, coinciding with the Israeli regime's approval of more than 8,600 settler units for Israelis in the West Bank and a boost in funding for settler projects.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 760 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or extremist Jewish settlers since the war on Gaza began.

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