The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has once again cast a spotlight on the plight of Palestinians, with a surge in settler violence and movement restrictions in the occupied West Bank. As the world marked Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, Palestinians endured an outpouring of violence, with Israeli settlers blocking gates, burning homes, and bulldozing olive groves. This wave of settler aggression has been particularly symbolic of the Israeli government's policy towards Palestinian national identity, as they use the current conflict with Iran to justify the emptying of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound of Muslim worshippers during Eid, reportedly for the first time since Israel captured the holy site in 1967.
The recent violence peaked in the early hours of Sunday, when approximately 100 masked settlers clad in black descended on the villages of Jalud and Qaryut, south of Nablus. According to local Palestinian sources, they torched at least five vehicles, set fire to more than 10 homes, burned the Jalud village council building, attacked a fire truck and injured its driver, and attempted to burn a mosque. The attacks continued, despite an Israeli army and police presence on the outskirts of both villages.
This wave of settler violence has been particularly devastating, with settlers torching homes and vehicles in al-Fandaqumiya, south of Jenin, and at least two more homes in Silat al-Dhaher, where six residents were injured. In Jiljiliya, northeast of Ramallah, settlers raided the home of Yousef Muzahim, and then called the Israeli army to arrest him and his two sons, aged 12 and 14.
The Israeli government's response to this surge in settler violence has been criticized for its lack of action. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attended Sherman’s funeral on Sunday and said the Israeli government was working to bring down the Palestinian Authority, and end the limited autonomy Palestinians have in some parts of the West Bank.
The situation in the West Bank is further complicated by the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has led to increased movement restrictions and land seizures. Settlers have been massing nightly at road junctions, attacking Palestinian vehicles and closing entrances to many Palestinian communities. The Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir publicly condemned settler violence, calling attacks on Palestinian civilians "morally and ethically unacceptable".
In the Gaza Strip, a separate crisis has deepened in near-silence. The amount of aid entering Gaza has plummeted since the US-Israel war on Iran began, sending prices soaring. The World Health Organization has warned that hospitals face shortages of medicines, medical supplies and fuel. The US-led Board of Peace, created in part to facilitate the full enactment of the October Gaza ceasefire, has largely been paused since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28.
The situation in Gaza is particularly dire, with Israeli air attacks killing at least three people, including a child, in Khan Younis on March 17, and four more in two drone attacks in the area of Gaza City on March 19. At least three Palestinians were reported wounded in another Israeli attack that day in Gaza City. According to Palestinian journalist Motasem Dalloul, heavy Israeli tank fire was reported east of Gaza City on Monday morning, with additional Israeli artillery shelling in Bureij refugee camp.
The international community has been largely silent on these issues, with the Israeli government's actions going largely unchallenged. The situation in the Middle East remains a complex and volatile one, with the lives of Palestinians continuing to be affected by the actions of the Israeli government and its settlers.
