From: NefeshBarYochai <void@invalid.noy>
Newsgroups: can.politics,fl.politics,alt.politics.liberalism,alt.politics.republicans,alt.politics.trump
Subject: One month into Israels West Bank offensive, violence and uncertainty are the new normal
Organization: The International Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:17 -0500
The ongoing Israeli offensive on the West Bank, dubbed Operation Iron
Wall, has claimed the lives of four more Palestinians over the past
week, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since January
21 to 55.
The offensive, which started in Jenin and expanded to the rest of the
northern West Bank, including Tulkarem, Tubas, and their surrounding
areas, is the largest Israeli offensive on Palestinian cities in the
West Bank since the Second Intifada over 22 years ago. Israel
launched it immediately after the ceasefire deal in Gaza entered into
force amidst calls from Israeli far-right politicians and media
outlets to transfer the war to the West Bank.
The Israeli escalation in the West Bank also came after declarations
by hardline Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who is in
charge of the Israeli administration of the West Bank, that 2025 will
be the year of Israels annexation of the West Bank. Smotrich remained
in Netanyahus government despite opposing the ceasefire deal in Gaza.
According to Israeli reports, the offensive in the West Bank was an
appeasement made to Smotrich in exchange for refraining from resigning
in protest over the ceasefire deal, which would have caused a collapse
in Prime Minister Netanyahus governing coalition.
https://mondoweiss.net/2025/02/one-month-into-israels-west-bank-offensive-violence-and-uncertainty-are-the-new-normal/