In a recent statement, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, described the Israeli practices in the West Bank as “criminal”. She warned that the intention of genocide is clear in the way the occupation targets the Palestinians, their lands and property.
Albanese stated on “X” that the occupation is no longer satisfied with targeting Gaza, but has expanded its destructive operations to all the occupied Palestinian territories, which reflects a systematic targeting of the entire Palestinian people.
She stressed that she had previously warned the United Nations General Assembly of this approach, stressing that it is already too late for international intervention to stop these crimes.
While international and human rights warnings are increasing, Israeli attacks continue at an unprecedented pace in the West Bank, where the recent military aggression resulted in killing dozens and injuring hundreds, in addition to the complete destruction of residential areas, and the imposition of a stifling siege on several cities and towns.
Reports indicate that the number of deaths in the West Bank since the beginning of the year has reached 70, including 10 children, a woman and two elderly people. The number of casualties reflects the extent of the systematic violence practiced by the occupation forces.
In Jenin, the Israeli aggression continues for the second week in a row, and reached its peak on Sunday, when the occupation forces simultaneously blew up 20 residential buildings in the eastern part of the camp, causing the displacement of thousands of Palestinians, and damaging the Jenin Governmental Hospital.
Despite the direct targeting of civilian facilities, international bodies have not taken any real measures to stop these massacres.
In Tulkarm, the city and its camp have turned into an open confrontation arena, as the occupation forces besiege hospitals and prevent medical teams from reaching the wounded, amid intensive sniping operations targeting civilians inside their homes.
The IOF also stormed the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and detained medical teams, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law that guarantees the protection of medical workers.
In Tubas; The occupation imposed a stifling siege on Al-Far’a camp and the town of Tamoun, and forced dozens of families to flee, after destroying the infrastructure and cutting off water and communications supplies.
These violations are repeated in every area reached by the occupation forces, where it seems clear that the goal is to change the demographic composition through forced displacement, and impose a new reality that serves the annexation and settlement expansion plans.
The crimes committed by the IOF in the West Bank are not mere military operations, but they are crimes against humanity and war crimes, according to the definitions stipulated in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Targeting civilians, indiscriminate destruction of infrastructure, and imposing collective punishments are all practices that constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, which requires urgent international action to put an end to these violations.
In light of these developments, there seems to be an urgent need to activate international accountability mechanisms and impose sanctions on the occupation to stop these escalating crimes. International silence is no longer just a negative position, but has become an encouraging factor for the occupation to continue implementing its policies based on ethnic cleansing and systematic oppression of the Palestinian people.
