Executing the Palestinian existence in the West Bank
5 Min Read
Mohammad Alqeeq argues that "Israel’s" escalating violations in the West Bank, alongside the genocide in Gaza, aim to erase Palestinian sovereignty through settlement expansion, annexation projects like E1, and systemic ethnic cleansing.
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"Israel" is accelerating its systematic policy of crushing the personal and existential security of Palestinians. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)
The recent Israeli violations, including the latest in Al-Mughayer village near Ramallah and in Masafer Yatta, south of al-Khalil, alongside military operations in Nablus, Jenin, Ramallah, and Tulkarm, demonstrate a systematic effort to undermine Palestinian sovereignty. These actions target not only personal and economic security, but also the livelihood and access to food of Palestinians.
"Israel’s" policy pursues multiple objectives:
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To distort the narrative not only through the media but also practically, by evicting Bedouin communities and replacing them with settlers. These settlers are introduced through pastoral-style settlements that mimic Bedouin traditions and habits, giving the appearance of continuity. This reflects an ethnic cleansing policy targeting entire ways of life.
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This settlement formula serves as an initial geographical buffer: a defensive line connecting the settlements while simultaneously limiting Palestinian territorial expansion.
These measures complement other Israeli policies against Palestinians, such as tightening restrictions on daily life by installing iron gates and military barriers at city entrances, paralyzing trade and investment, and withholding clearance funds and tax revenues.
All of this aims to force Palestinians to abandon their lands, cramming them into isolated enclaves in order to pave the way for the settler state.
"Israel" justifies its policies by raising concerns about EU recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state. It rationalizes the October 7 genocide in Gaza and its Judaization measures in al-Quds as “development.” In reality, these measures aim to establish a settler state as the nucleus of a new Middle East project.
The Future with E1
"Israel" is accelerating its systematic policy of crushing the personal and existential security of Palestinians.
Alongside the genocide in Gaza, it has intensified settler and army attacks in the West Bank to exert more pressure internally, damaging Palestinian dignity and liquidating their cause.
All these actions point to a broader plan: to impose "Israeli sovereignty" over the West Bank by implementing annexation as part of the “Deal of the Century” ahead of the UN Assembly meeting on September 28.
E1 is the dangerous project "Israel" has long sought to implement, but was previously forced to freeze under pressure from past US administrations.
The project is designed to annex the “Ma’ale Adumim” settlement to al-Quds, effectively dividing the southern West Bank from the center. This would cut the territorial continuity of any Palestinian state while linking West Bank settlements directly with al-Quds.
Launched in 1999, E1 aims to isolate al-Quds, strengthen Israeli sovereignty over it, eliminate Palestinian aspirations for an independent state, confiscate eastern areas of the West Bank to tighten control over the Jordanian border, and remove Bedouin communities to seize pastoral areas.
"Israel" began implementing the project years ago by building a police station and forcing Bedouin communities to leave.
Although "Israel" claims it accelerated E1 in response to EU promises to recognize Palestine, in reality, it has consistently manufactured crises to justify its plans. Even the Oslo Accords were exploited to advance "Israel’s" historical goal of expansion, backed by the US through relocating its embassy to al-Quds and promoting the so-called “Deal of the Century.”
Systematic intransigence
The Israeli government has linked the West Bank situation to Gaza in order to convince the international community of the supposed threats of Palestinian sovereignty and existence. This framing ensures that offers to stop the genocide are consistently rejected, serving Israel’s long-term plans.
Instead of ending the war and stabilizing the region, Netanyahu has ignored appeals from the families of Israeli captives in Gaza and from the international community to halt starvation and genocide. He prioritizes implementing his vision of “Greater Israel.”
Thus, he has rejected every ceasefire proposal, presenting himself as the sole leader expanding "Israel’s territory". He even rebuffed mediators by launching the second phase of the war on Gaza.
The key question now is how mediators will respond: by putting more pressure on Palestinians to meet Israeli terms, or by exposing "Israel" as a war criminal entity and halting futile negotiations that distract from the suffering of the people.
At a minimum, mediators should compel "Israel" to respect agreements it violated in March and to allow humanitarian aid entry. From my perspective, the best response is to strip away the facade of genocide “mediation,” exposing "Israel" and calling for immediate international intervention to end US monopoly over the issue.
Unavoidable price
The situation is extremely serious, and the international community must act with genuine will and moral clarity.
Otherwise, genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank will inevitably expand into Syria and Lebanon in line with Netanyahu’s vision.
He seeks to replicate the outcomes of the 1967 war, but today’s global transformations make this impossible. According to many Israeli leaders, Netanyahu’s decisions will hasten "Israel’s" demise, as the shadow of the so-called “curse of the eighth decade” looms over him.
