Echoes of War in the West Bank

WEST BANK | OCT. & NOV. 2023

On October 7, 2023, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militant group, orchestrated a meticulously planned series of coordinated attacks from the Gaza Strip into bordering areas in Israel. This took place on a Sabbath day and coincided with Jewish holidays. Hamas aimed to inflict a devastating impact, intending to cause a massacre of 1,200 Israeli civilians and the abduction of over 240 individuals.

The multi-pronged invasion involved approximately 3,000 militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier, catching Israeli forces off guard. This well-coordinated assault marked a significant escalation in hostilities, posing a grave threat to the security and well-being of the affected communities.

In response, Israel initiated a war against Hamas, starting with airstrikes and later conducting a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip. After one hundred days, this resulted in over 24,000 casualties, with 70% being women and children, and left more than 61,000 people injured. The UN and international communities demanded a ceasefire for Gaza, accusing Israel of the murder of innocent people. This led South Africa to open a case of genocide against the Palestinian people at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Simultaneously, the situation in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank deteriorated, escalating tensions and prompting Israeli military raids in the occupied Palestinian territories. Cities such as Jenin, Nablus, and Tulkarem became targets for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in pursuit of Hamas militants and other jihadist groups.

Over the years, the number of Israeli settlements in the West Bank has increased, despite international criticism and United Nations resolutions deeming them illegal. The expansion of these settlements remains a major source of tension between Israel and the Palestinians, with the latter viewing their presence as a hindrance to achieving a two-state solution.

The debate over Israeli settlements involves issues of security, human rights, and territorial legitimacy. While Israel argues that the settlements are necessary for security and the natural expansion of the population, Palestinians and many in the international community believe these settlements undermine the possibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state and jeopardize peace in the region.

Muslims pray in front of the mosque in the Tulkarem refugee camp during the funeral of four men killed in the nighttime raid by the IDF on November 7, 2023. Three of the individuals killed were militants, including Izz A-Din Awad, a Hamas commander.
Palestinian militants carry the body of Majdi Awad, 67 years old, who was killed during an IDF nighttime raid in Tulkarem, November 1, 2023. . According to interviews obtained on the ground, Majdi, a civilian, lost his life early in the morning as he was heading to the mosque for prayers.
Women, relatives and friends of Majdi Awad, 67 years old, mourn his death in the family home in Tulkarem on November 1, 2023. Majdi Awad was killed during an IDF nighttime raid in Tulkarem. Majdi, a civilian, was killed early in the morning as he was heading to the mosque for prayers.
Militants, civilians, and children gather at the cemetery in Nablus during the funeral prayer for the burial of Naim Feraene, 31 years old, killed in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus during an Israeli army nighttime raid. According to an interview with Naim Feraene's family, he was killed while trying to assist other injured individuals, targeted by IDF snipers near his home. Four other people were injured in the incident. Naim's father had also been killed by Israelis during the second intifada.
Palestinians stand in front of the entrance arch of the Jenin refugee camp, destroyed overnight during an Israeli army raid on October 30, 2023. Since October 7, following the Hamas attack in Israel and the start of the war in Gaza, tension in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank has escalated. Over 170 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, have been killed by IDF forces.
Palestinian protest in Ramallah after Friday prayers on October 3, 2023.
The city of Nablus, located in the mountainous region of the West Bank, October 29, 2023.
Youths weep at the grave of Ibrahim Zayed, in the cemetery of the Qalandia refugee camp, south of Ramallah, on Friday, November 3, 2023. Zayed lost his life during an Israeli army raid in Qalandia in the early morning, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry. A number of military vehicles entered the Qalandia refugee camp north of the occupied capital, sparking protests that escalated as soldiers fired numerous live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs. 29-year-old Ibrahim Zayed was fatally shot by the soldiers, sustaining multiple live rounds, including a fatal shot to the chest.
A funeral poster was affixed in the Nablus refugee camp to commemorate the passing of Adai al Shami, a young member of the Lions' Den militant group, on October 29, 2023.
Palestinians bid their final farewell to Ibrahim Zayed in the cemetery of the Qalandia refugee camp, south of Ramallah, on Friday, November 3, 2023. Zayed was killed by the Israeli army during a raid in Qalandia in the early morning, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The incursion of several military vehicles into the Qalandia refugee camp north of the occupied capital led to protests that escalated as soldiers fired numerous live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs. Ibrahim Zayed, a 29-year-old, was fatally shot by the soldiers, sustaining multiple live rounds, including a fatal shot to the chest.
Women, relatives and friends of Majdi Awad, 67 years old, mourn his death in the family home in Tulkarem on November 1, 2023. Majdi Awad was killed during an IDF nighttime raid in Tulkarem. Majdi, a civilian, was killed early in the morning as he was heading to the mosque for prayers.
Mourners are walking in the funeral procession of Naim Feraene, 31 years old, who was killed in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus during an Israeli army nighttime raid on October 29, 2023. According to an interview with Naim Feraene's family, he lost his life while attempting to assist other injured individuals targeted by IDF snipers near his home. Four other people were injured in the incident. It is noteworthy that Naim's father had also been killed by Israelis during the second intifada.
Abu al Abed, 21 years old (nickname), lies in his hospital bed in Nablus after being injured by an IDF drone in the Jenin refugee camp, which resulted in 4 deaths and 24 injuries, October 29, 2023.
Women, relatives, and friends gather in a house in the Tulkarem refugee camp during the three-day funeral vigil for the death of Izz A-Din Awad, a Hamas commander. He was killed, along with three others, during the funeral of four men in the nighttime raid by the IDF on November 7, 2023.
Relatives and friends bid farewell to Ibrahim Zayed for the last time inside the library of the mosque in the Qalandia refugee camp, south of Ramallah, on Friday, November 3, 2023. Zayed was killed by the Israeli army during a raid in Qalandia in the early morning, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The incursion of several military vehicles into the Qalandia refugee camp north of the occupied capital led to protests that escalated as soldiers fired numerous live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs. Ibrahim Zayed, a 29-year-old, was fatally shot by the soldiers, sustaining multiple live rounds, including a fatal shot to the chest.
Family members of Majdi Awad, 67 years old, mourn his death in the family home in Tulkarem on November 1, 2023. Majdi Awad was killed during an IDF nighttime raid in Tulkarem. Majdi, a civilian, lost his life early in the morning as he was heading to the mosque for prayers.
The entrance arch of the Jenin refugee camp was destroyed overnight during an Israeli army raid on October 30, 2023. Tensions in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank have escalated since October 7, following the Hamas attack in Israel and the onset of the war in Gaza. Over 170 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, have been killed by IDF forces.
A Palestinian child in a destroyed building during the Israeli army's nighttime raid in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus on October 29, 2023. In the background, a Hamas flag hangs on the remnants of the building.
Militants prepare for the funeral along the streets of the Tulkarem refugee camp for Majdi Awad, 67 years old, who was killed during an IDF nighttime raid in Tulkarem. According to interviews obtained on the ground, Majdi, a civilian, lost his life early in the morning as he was heading to the mosque for prayers.
Armed militants during the funeral of Naim Faraene in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus, Oct. 29, 2023. Naim Feraene, 31 years old, was killed in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus during an Israeli army nighttime raid on October 29, 2023. According to an interview with Naim Feraene's family, he lost his life while attempting to assist other injured individuals targeted by IDF snipers near his home. Four other people were injured in the incident. It is noteworthy that Naim's father had also been killed by Israelis during the second intifada.
The body of Majdi Awad, 67 years old, is cleaned and arranged in the morgue of Tulkarem before the funeral on November 1, 2023. Majdi Awad was killed during an IDF nighttime raid in Tulkarem. According to interviews obtained on the ground, Majdi, a civilian, lost his life early in the morning as he was heading to the mosque for prayers.
Palestinians pray during the Friday prayer and the funeral of Ibrahim Zayed outside the mosque in the Qalandia refugee camp, south of Ramallah, on Friday, November 3, 2023. Zayed was killed by the Israeli army during a raid in Qalandia in the early morning, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry. The incursion of several military vehicles into the Qalandia refugee camp north of the occupied capital led to protests that escalated as soldiers fired numerous live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs. Ibrahim Zayed, a 29-year-old, was fatally shot by the soldiers, sustaining multiple live rounds, including a fatal shot to the chest.
Family members of the victims, who were killed during the nighttime raid by the IDF in Tulkarem, mourn their deaths in front of their graves in the cemetery of the Tulkarem refugee camp on November 7, 2023. During the Israeli army's nighttime raid, three militants, including a Hamas commander, and one civilian were killed.
Palestinians bid their final farewell to Ibrahim Zayed in the cemetery of the Qalandia refugee camp, south of Ramallah, on Friday, November 3, 2023. Zayed was killed by the Israeli army during a raid in Qalandia in the early morning, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The incursion of several military vehicles into the Qalandia refugee camp north of the occupied capital led to protests that escalated as soldiers fired numerous live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs. Ibrahim Zayed, a 29-year-old, was fatally shot by the soldiers, sustaining multiple live rounds, including a fatal shot to the chest.

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