Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: One person was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the town of Burj Qalawieh, south Lebanon.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The first ship of the Maghreb fleet delivering aid to break the siege on Gaza departs from the port of Gammarth in Tunisia.
Channel 12: Airspace closed at Ramon Airport due to fears of drone infiltration
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded over an aircraft infiltration in the Bir Ora area, and details are being examined
Drone infiltration sirens sound north of the Gulf of Aqaba
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out five extremely violent raids on the western areas of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out major bombings in the Gaza Strip, the most violent since October 7
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree: The missile force carried out a major operation using the Palestine 2 ballistic hypersonic missile, hitting several targets in occupied Yafa.
Sirens sound in large areas of occupied Palestine after a missile launch from Yemen was detected
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 14 martyrs arrive at al-Shifa Hospital following Israeli massacre of al-Sultan Family north of Gaza.

'Israel’s' West Bank attacks mirror Gaza strategy, fueling fears: FT

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Financial Times
  • 5 May 2025 12:29
  • 3 Shares
4 Min Read

Civilian deaths rise as "Israel" brings Gaza-like strikes and restrictions to the West Bank, rights groups warn.

Listen
  • x
  • A relative mourns over the body of Abdul Khaleq Jbour, 16, who was killed in an Israeli raid, during his funeral at the West Bank village of Salem, near Nablus, Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP )
    A relative mourns over the body of Abdul Khaleq Jbour, 16, who was killed in an Israeli raid, during his funeral at the West Bank village of Salem, near Nablus, Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP)

In a detailed investigation published by the Financial Times, "Israel's" widening military aggression on the occupied West Bank is revealed to mirror tactics long associated with its operations in Gaza. The report highlights how drone strikes, tank deployments, and sweeping raids, once rare in the territory, have now become routine, signaling a sharp escalation in both the scale and nature of Israeli assaults.

As violence, settler attacks, and movement restrictions intensify, Palestinians are bearing the brunt of what human rights observers are increasingly describing as the “Gazafication” of the West Bank.

The initial report from "Israel’s" military was brief and unequivocal, claiming that "the [Israeli air force] struck a terrorist cell in the area of Tammun. Details to follow.” It was all wrong. The drone strike in the hillside town in the north of the occupied West Bank killed three Palestinian cousins, aged eight, 10, and 23, as they stood just meters from Iman Bisharat’s home.

Moments later, Bisharat rushed outside to find her son Hamza’s body riddled with shrapnel. His cousin Reda’s head had been torn open. Adam, the third cousin, died in her arms.

“There was a huge boom… shrapnel everywhere,” she said. “It was like a scene from Gaza in front of me.”

The January 8 strike marked a turning point in "Israel’s" broader campaign that has brought record death tolls to the West Bank.

Return to airstrikes, tanks in the West Bank

Related News

Israeli bombs kill 45 in Gaza as schools, homes targeted

Turkey stands firmly with Palestinians, Qatar: Erdogan

The occupied West Bank has seen tactics once confined to the Gaza Strip. Since June 2023, and increasingly after October 7, "Israel" resumed airstrikes using drones, helicopter gunships, and even fighter jets. Tanks have also reappeared for the first time in two decades, targeting refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams.

According to the UN's OCHA, Israeli forces have killed over 900 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, making 2023 and 2024 the deadliest years since the UN began collecting data in 2005. 

In addition to casualties, operations have razed roads and homes, displaced thousands, and imposed widespread restrictions that have disrupted life for 3.3 million Palestinians.

Israeli officials claim the campaign is necessary to dismantle militant strongholds in areas where the Palestinian Authority has lost control. But analysts like Ibrahim Dalalsha say politics also plays a role. Netanyahu’s far-right allies, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, have pushed for more aggression in the West Bank, moves that coincided with "Israel’s" Gaza ceasefire in January.

Legal experts warn of unlawful use of force

Human rights organizations have condemned the escalated force as disproportionate. The UN’s human rights office stated that "Israel's" actions in the West Bank, a non-combat zone, violate international law.

“There are no hostilities in the West Bank,” the UN noted. “Israel now routinely resorts to tactics and weapons developed for war, including air strikes and tanks.”

Since October 7, "Israel" has added dozens of checkpoints, pushing the number of “movement obstacles” beyond 800. Meanwhile, settler violence has surged. OCHA recorded over 2,200 settler attacks involving casualties or property damage. These incidents have uprooted families, destroyed olive harvests, and blocked Palestinians from accessing vast areas of land.

For residents like Bisharat, daily life has become paralyzing. She no longer dares travel to nearby Nablus — a once routine trip.

“Anything unpredictable can be a disaster,” she told the Financial Times. “Even going out to buy something feels like a risk where God knows what will happen.”

And home is no longer a refuge: “If they got away with killing our kids… they can get away with anything else,” she concluded by saying.

  • Israeli airstrikes
  • IOF raid
  • Gaza genocide
  • West Bank
  • Israeli occupation
  • settlers violence

Most Read

The damaged building in the Katara neighborhood, Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025 (Social media)

Hamas delegation survives Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar

  • Politics
  • 9 Sep 2025
Israeli police and rescue teams respond at the scene of a shooting attack where several people killed and injured in Jerusalem, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 (AP)

Al-Quds shooting: 7 settlers killed, several critically injured

  • Politics
  • 8 Sep 2025
Pro-"Israel" conservative Charlie Kirk shot during Utah speech

Pro-'Israel' far-right Charlie Kirk shot dead during Utah speech

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
People protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, on Friday, September 27, 2024 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' stops unfunded diplomacy ahead of UN, October 7 memorial

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet releases flares over the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

OIC summit draft: Israeli attack on Qatar risks normalization

People shout slogans and hold Palestinian flags while protesting during the twenty-first stage of La Vuelta cycling race from Alalpardo to Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP)
Sports

Pro-Palestine protests force abrupt end to Vuelta a España finale

Damage is seen after an Israeli strike targeted a compound that hosted Hamas' political leadership in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli regime faces growing isolation over Qatar strike: Reports

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS