‘Catastrophic Situation’ in West Bank As Israeli Operations Intensify
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Escalating Israeli military operations and movement restrictions in the West Bank are exacerbating humanitarian challenges, leaving communities trapped and livelihoods disrupted.
The situation across the occupied West Bank is becoming dire, Palestinian activist Hamza Zubiedat said, describing the conditions as "really catastrophic."
“It’s not only in Jenin,” where a three-day Israeli raid continues, Zubiedat told Al Jazeera from Bethlehem.
Movement between cities is nearly impossible due to prolonged checkpoint closures and delays, he added.
Traveling from Bethlehem to Ramallah, a trip that normally takes under an hour, now requires an entire day.
“Sometimes you have to sleep in the car waiting [for] the checkpoint to open,” Zubiedat explained.
Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoints appear to be acting under a political directive, Zubiedat claimed.
“These actions isolate Palestinian villages and cities, disrupting access to essential services like healthcare, education, and the transportation of goods, deepening poverty and suffering,” he said.
In Jenin, Israeli forces are implementing tactics previously used in Gaza during the ongoing “Iron Wall” operation, said Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz.
This military strategy, involving air strikes and advanced warfare methods, marks a shift in operations in the West Bank, according to Katz.
On Wednesday, constant gunfire and explosions rocked the Jenin refugee camp, which Palestinian health services reported left at least four injured.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) described the camp as “nearly uninhabitable,” with an estimated 2,000 families displaced since December.
“This operation undermines the fragile ceasefire reached just days ago in Gaza,” said Roland Friedrich, UNRWA’s director for the West Bank and East Al-Quds.
Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) is struggling to assist people trapped in Jenin under Israel’s mass displacement orders.
PRCS medics are attempting to reach the sick and injured while evacuating vulnerable residents, including the elderly.
Israeli forces killed 12 Palestinians and injured dozens since the operation began on Tuesday, and blocked ambulances from reaching casualties, the PRCS reported.
In the nearby Wadi Burqin area, two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Wednesday, according to Israeli media.
As tensions escalate, both humanitarian organizations and Palestinian activists warn that the ongoing crisis threatens to destabilize the region further.