Israel has suspended the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and resumed targeting Palestinian civilians, bringing the ceasefire with Hamas the closest it has even been to collapse.
In the midst of fragile ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel is escalating its military aggressions in the region, begging the question: is Israel experiencing a moment of unprecedented force, or is it afraid of betraying unprecedented weakness?
The Israeli army expanded its “Iron Wall” offensive in the northern West Bank, sending tanks into Jenin for the first time in two decades and announcing that displaced residents from Jenin and Tulkarem would not be allowed to return to their homes.
Following a handover ceremony in Gaza for Israeli captives, during which one Israeli soldier kissed the heads of two Hamas fighters, an outraged Netanyahu suspended the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Israel wants to drag out the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and eventually return to war, while Hamas wants to begin reconstruction as part of a second phase. This current impasse is bringing the fragile ceasefire to a dangerous crossroads.
Israel has killed 55 Palestinians after one month of its ongoing “Iron Wall” offensive in the West Bank. Killings, mass displacement, and uncertainty are the new normal.
Following tensions that threatened to unravel a tenuous ceasefire, Hamas released three Israeli prisoners after receiving guarantees from mediators that Israel would adhere to the humanitarian stipulations of the ceasefire agreement.
The forcible displacement of over 40,000 people in the northern West Bank is repeating scenes from Gaza and stoking fears of ethnic cleansing. “The most important thing is to stay in our home,” a resident of al-Far’a refugee camp tells Mondoweiss.
Hamas says Israel’s delay in allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza is a breach of the ceasefire deal and is “a new war on the Palestinian people.” The group has delayed the release of more Israeli captives “until further notice.”
Israel’s ongoing military offensive in the West Bank has forcibly displaced 40,000 Palestinians from refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas, according to UNRWA.