Two Months of Escalating Violence: Report Highlights Israeli Atrocities in West Bank and Gaza

A recent report by the Roya Center for Political Development has laid bare the devastating toll of Israeli military and settler violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over January and February. The findings paint a grim picture of systematic killings, mass arrests, home demolitions, land confiscations, and relentless settler attacks, underscoring the deepening humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinians.  

The report documented the deaths of 94 Palestinians, including 16 children, three detainees, and three women, with Jenin bearing the brunt of the violence, recording 42 martyrs. Israeli forces were responsible for 39 targeted assassinations, while 21 Palestinians were killed during military raids. Additionally, 356 Palestinians were injured, among them 66 children and nine women, including a journalist.  

Israeli forces carried out 2,766 military incursions into Palestinian towns and villages, with Nablus and Ramallah experiencing the highest number of raids. The ongoing military operation in the northern West Bank, described as the most violent in two decades, has displaced tens of thousands from Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps, leaving behind a trail of destruction.  

Over the two months, 272 Palestinian homes and commercial structures were demolished, with Jenin, Hebron, and Tulkarm witnessing the highest levels of destruction. Israeli authorities also confiscated nearly 300,000 dunams of Palestinian land, while advancing plans for thousands of new settlement units in the West Bank and Jerusalem.  

Settler violence surged, with 388 attacks recorded, including arson, shootings, and the destruction of crops and property. These assaults, often carried out with impunity, have further destabilised Palestinian communities.  

In Gaza, the aftermath of Israel’s 470-day war continues to unfold. Despite a ceasefire on January 19, the conflict has left 47,348 Palestinians dead, 111,761 injured, and 14,222 missing under the rubble. Rescue teams have recovered 722 bodies since the ceasefire, but 18 more Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in late February.  

The war has decimated Gaza’s infrastructure, with 88% of housing, hospitals, schools, and places of worship destroyed. Over 70% of water, electricity, and sewage networks in northern Gaza are damaged, leaving residents with just three litres of water per day. The scale of destruction is staggering, with debris amounting to 50 million tons—17 times the total rubble from all Israeli wars on Gaza since 2008.  

The report underscores the urgent need for international intervention to halt Israel’s violations and address the catastrophic humanitarian situation faced by Palestinians. As violence and displacement continue unabated, the call for justice and accountability grows louder.

Source : Safa News