Israel Instigates Ethnic Cleansing in West Bank

RAMALLAH, MONDAY – Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh strongly condemned the actions of the Israeli occupation forces in expanding the total war against Palestinian residents in the West Bank. He described Israel's move as part of a plan to expel the Palestinian people and an act of ethnic cleansing.

In a statement reported by the Palestinian news agency, Wafa, Monday (3/2/2025), Abu Rudeinah warned of the dangers of Israel's actions for the future of the entire Middle East region.

He mentioned that these aggressive policies were carried out by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank and have resulted in the deaths of 29 people, hundreds injured or arrested, the destruction of entire residential blocks in the Jenin and Tulkarm camps, causing the displacement of thousands of residents, and massive destruction of infrastructure.

"We demand the intervention of the US government before it is too late to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and land, which will trigger an uncontrollable situation and everyone will have to bear the consequences," said Abu Rudeinah.

He emphasized that the Palestinian people will not accept any plan that makes them lose their homes or be given replacement land. Abu Rudeinah added that threatening the Palestinian people does not benefit anyone, but only expands the destruction in Palestine and the wider region.

The statement was issued from Ramallah in conjunction with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington DC, United States, starting Monday (3/2/2025). He is scheduled to hold talks, among other things, about the second phase of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire in Gaza with US President Donald Trump.

The meeting between Netanyahu and Trump is scheduled for Tuesday (February 4, 2025). This is Trump's first reception of a foreign head of state since he returned to power in the White House. The US Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who is involved in the ceasefire negotiations, stated that he met with Netanyahu last week and will resume official discussions on the ceasefire on Monday (February 3, 2025).

Trump is believed to be pushing for the opening of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Saudi Arabia has stressed that it will only agree to the proposal if the war ends and a Palestinian state is established covering the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem with pre-1967 borders.

Their meeting took place at the same time as three mediators (Qatar, Egypt and the US) were trying to hold a second phase of ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel.

The ceasefire agreement, announced on January 15, 2025, is divided into three stages. In the first stage (lasting 42 days), 33 Israeli hostages will be exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. In addition, Israeli troops will be withdrawn from densely populated areas of Gaza. Gazans will be allowed to return to their homes and humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza.

Details of the second phase of the ceasefire were negotiated again on the 16th day of the first phase, which fell on Monday (3/2/2025). It is hoped that the agreement will include the release of all Israeli hostages (around 60 people) in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

In the third phase, the deal is expected to continue with the handover of the bodies of the hostages and the reconstruction of Gaza under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar and the UN. The goal of the phased ceasefire: an end to the fighting and the rebuilding of Gaza after 15 months of war.

Hamas stressed that it will not release the remaining Israeli hostages in the second phase of the ceasefire if the Israeli military does not end the war and occupation of Gaza.

"We have started engaging the relevant parties to determine the agenda and to start engaging in those discussions," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said on Sunday (2/2/2025).

Netanyahu is under pressure from within his cabinet to continue the war after the first phase of the ceasefire ends, in early March 2025. Netanyahu has expressed his commitment to achieving total victory over Hamas and ensuring the return of all hostages.

It is not yet known what Trump's stance is on Hamas' demands to end the war on the one hand and the Jewish extremist camp's insistence on continuing the war in Gaza.

Al Jazeera reported on Sunday (2/2/2025) that an Israeli Army spokesman said the Israeli military destroyed 23 buildings in Jenin and admitted to killing 50 Palestinian fighters in the West Bank since mid-January 2025. It was also reported that explosions occurred throughout the day in residential areas in the ad-Damj Refugee Camp.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the explosions caused by the Israeli bombardment were heard throughout Jenin City. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the brutal destruction of buildings in Jenin. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council (UN) to stop the destruction of Palestinian refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm by Israel.

In another incident in the southern West Bank, the Israeli military killed a young man named Mohammed Amjad Hadoush (27).

As the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip came into effect, the Israeli military launched a large-scale operation in the West Bank under the code name Operation “Iron Wall” on January 19, 2025. One of the targets was to attack Palestinian fighters in Jenin.

Jenin resident Henna al-Haj Hassan told Al Jazeera that the sound of explosions during the Israeli attacks was very frightening for residents. Jenin residents have been under Israeli attacks for the past two weeks and have been subject to a curfew. Shops and businesses have been forced to close temporarily.

This has been Israel's long-standing plan to wipe out and make Palestine disappear and be forgotten.

Ahmed Tobasi, a Jenin resident, said that houses in Jenin were no longer habitable due to the brutal Israeli attacks. "This is Israel's long-standing plan to finish off and make Palestine disappear and be forgotten," Tobasi said.

"This is not about dealing with terrorists. What we are dealing with are ordinary people. In Jenin, one house can be inhabited by three to four families due to limited facilities," Tobasi explained.

Al Jazeera's Hamda Salhut added that the Israeli military has set up checkpoints across the West Bank. At least 27 people have been killed at Israeli checkpoints.

“Many of the victims were ordinary people, including a two-year-old baby girl and a 73-year-old grandfather, who were shot by Tzahal (the Israeli military),” Salhut said.

Earlier Sunday, the Israeli military said a tactical combat group conducted an operation in Tammum and found weapons. They continued the operation in five villages.

Not only in the West Bank, Israel also attacked the Gaza Strip, resulting in five people being injured, including a child, Sunday (2/2/2025). Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza said the Israeli military fired at a vehicle crossing a checkpoint from the southern to the northern Gaza Strip.

(AP)