{"id":6862,"date":"2024-08-17T06:12:30","date_gmt":"2024-08-17T06:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=6862"},"modified":"2024-08-17T06:12:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-17T06:12:32","slug":"end-game-whats-israels-plan-in-the-occupied-west-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=6862","title":{"rendered":"End game: What\u2019s Israel\u2019s plan in the occupied West Bank?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em><strong>Unfortunate!!!  Against the will of the whole world (Except America), Israel is committing Genocide in Palestine and occupying Palestinian Land illegally. Israel continues to expand settlements, with many politicians open about their desire to stop a Palestinian state.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.io%2Fwtogrl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=End%20game%3A%20What%E2%80%99s%20Israel%E2%80%99s%20plan%20in%20the%20occupied%20West%20Bank%3F&amp;source=sharethiscom&amp;related=sharethis&amp;via=AJEnglish&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.io%2Fwtogrl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/aje.io\/wtogrl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a>In the occupied West Bank, the war on Gaza has provided cover for continued Israeli violence and expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Wednesday, Israel\u2019s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced new plans to expand settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, ignoring international law and the International Court of Justice\u2019s recent ruling that Israel\u2019s continued presence there&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/7\/19\/world-court-says-israels-settlement-policies-breach-international-law\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">is unlawful<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/8\/15\/israel-hamas-ceasefire-talks-a-timeline-of-obstruction?traffic_source=KeepReading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks: A timeline of obstruction<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/8\/15\/palestinian-leader-abbas-tells-turkish-parliament-he-will-go-to-gaza?traffic_source=KeepReading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Palestinian leader Abbas tells Turkish parliament he will go to Gaza<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/program\/newsfeed\/2024\/8\/15\/gaza-death-toll-surpasses-40000-with-no-let-up-in-israels-war?traffic_source=KeepReading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gaza death toll surpasses 40,000 with no let-up in Israel\u2019s war<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo anti-Israel or anti-Zionist decision will stop the development of the settlement,\u201d Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionist Party and is himself a settler, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe will continue to fight against the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state. This is the mission of my life,\u201d he continued on the same day that the Israeli military raided the West Bank cities of Hebron and Nablus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, Israel has been expanding illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite repeated international condemnation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Analysts told Al Jazeera that these actions are part of Israel\u2019s larger plan to annex and ethnically cleanse a region it has been militarily occupying since 1967.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/fdae7392-9684-4b37-8a1a-4f4b7e10e816\/b52ef86d-ead4-4984-8253-95efb588a6e5\/1920x1080\/match\/image.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>https:\/\/imasdk.googleapis.com\/js\/core\/bridge3.659.0_en.html#goog_2055101586Play Video<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Video Duration&nbsp;3 minutes 32 seconds3:32<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"playlist-container\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Now PlayingVideo Duration\u00a003 minutes 32 seconds03:32<img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/fdae7392-9684-4b37-8a1a-4f4b7e10e816\/0bf61046-660d-40e4-a359-796f36d39be7\/320x180\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/fdae7392-9684-4b37-8a1a-4f4b7e10e816\/0bf61046-660d-40e4-a359-796f36d39be7\/320x180\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/fdae7392-9684-4b37-8a1a-4f4b7e10e816\/0bf61046-660d-40e4-a359-796f36d39be7\/320x180\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Israeli society still supports Netanyahu and his war on Palestinians\">Israeli society still supports Netanyahu and his war on Palestinians<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>NextVideo Duration\u00a006 minutes 11 seconds06:11<img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/8bcd7e6d-34c1-443f-b82d-c4bea778c41c\/bf845c13-5d7c-4750-a95d-cefdcfb890a7\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/8bcd7e6d-34c1-443f-b82d-c4bea778c41c\/bf845c13-5d7c-4750-a95d-cefdcfb890a7\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/8bcd7e6d-34c1-443f-b82d-c4bea778c41c\/bf845c13-5d7c-4750-a95d-cefdcfb890a7\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Marwan Bishara on the chances (and remaining obstacles) to a ceasefire agreement in Gaza\n\">Marwan Bishara on the chances (and remaining obstacles) to a ceasefire agreement in Gaza<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Video Duration\u00a002 minutes 13 seconds02:13<img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/c1328d0f-c87c-44fc-b34e-a8b9d13ccd92\/fc5bd091-27ea-479a-b243-f43ee76f17d8\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/c1328d0f-c87c-44fc-b34e-a8b9d13ccd92\/fc5bd091-27ea-479a-b243-f43ee76f17d8\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/c1328d0f-c87c-44fc-b34e-a8b9d13ccd92\/fc5bd091-27ea-479a-b243-f43ee76f17d8\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Kenya mangrove conservation: Local efforts to protect mangrove forests bear fruit\">Kenya mangrove conservation: Local efforts to protect mangrove forests bear fruit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Video Duration\u00a002 minutes 37 seconds02:37<img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/b50fd03d-13f0-4e88-aa8c-894418189ff6\/8ae2a7be-97b3-46b4-a0f2-4c605f813993\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/b50fd03d-13f0-4e88-aa8c-894418189ff6\/8ae2a7be-97b3-46b4-a0f2-4c605f813993\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/b50fd03d-13f0-4e88-aa8c-894418189ff6\/8ae2a7be-97b3-46b4-a0f2-4c605f813993\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"New illegal Israeli settlement approved: UNESCO world heritage site under threat\">New illegal Israeli settlement approved: UNESCO world heritage site under threat<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Video Duration\u00a002 minutes 11 seconds02:11<img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/d6015a01-1e76-4e6d-a4be-610c42b980fb\/d8c77619-f437-4757-b228-65cdfe9926f6\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/d6015a01-1e76-4e6d-a4be-610c42b980fb\/d8c77619-f437-4757-b228-65cdfe9926f6\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/d6015a01-1e76-4e6d-a4be-610c42b980fb\/d8c77619-f437-4757-b228-65cdfe9926f6\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Brazil calls for new Venezuela election: President Lula Da Silva hardens position on Maduro\">Brazil calls for new Venezuela election: President Lula Da Silva hardens position on Maduro<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"solidifying-the-occupation\">Solidifying the occupation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIsrael has for decades been pursuing a maximalist policy of expansion in the West Bank, but different governing coalitions have approached the same objectives with different tactics,\u201d Tariq Kenney-Shawa, a policy fellow at Palestinian think tank Al-Shabaka, told Al-Jazeera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing right now with Israel\u2019s far-right governing coalition is more of an accelerationist approach that aims to formalize what has for so long been a de facto reality on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/8\/15\/the-wild-west-bank-the-lawless-settlers-terrorising-palestinian-farmers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">process has intensified<\/a>&nbsp;since October 7, when a Hamas-led attack on Israel killed an estimated 1,139 people, with another 250 or so people taken captive, analysts said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The response by Israel was brutal, an ongoing bombardment of Gaza that has killed more than 40,000 people while many more are expected to die from other impacts of the war, even if fighting were to stop immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ceasefire talks have not stemmed the violence, which follows a familiar pattern by the Israelis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In that time,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/longform\/2023\/10\/9\/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Israel has killed more than 630 Palestinians<\/a>&nbsp;in the occupied West Bank, the most recent death coming overnight on Friday as masked settlers rampaged through Palestinian towns, attacking people and setting property ablaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the current war on Gaza, near-daily military raids and attacks on Palestinians by settlers in 2023 made it the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2005 \u2013 the year the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) began recording casualties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s been a real escalation since October because settler violence is always backed up and covered by the military and has gone through the roof,\u201d said Ori Goldberg, an Israeli political commentator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/49cfa961-0c39-411c-9ff4-b55811f717ac\/f3eaef9e-cb35-4e58-9dcd-84870f282b55\/1920x1080\/match\/image.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>https:\/\/imasdk.googleapis.com\/js\/core\/bridge3.659.0_en.html#goog_2055101587Play Video<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Video Duration&nbsp;7 minutes 30 seconds7:30<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"it-s-bound-to-get-a-lot-worse\">\u2018It\u2019s bound to get a lot worse\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Continued Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank signal continued ethnic cleansing or even a possible full annexation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are so close to rock bottom,\u201d Goldberg said, describing potential scenarios including \u201ccomplete annexation\u201d and \u201call-out war\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While analysts say Israel\u2019s policies of expansion have existed even under more liberal-leaning governments, they point out that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s current administration\u2019s far-right elements are taking advantage of the war in Gaza to push their agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIsrael has been exploiting the ongoing war in Gaza to settle old colonial scores in the West Bank by imposing sovereignty, annexing Area C, and legitimizing settlements, ultimately leading to the expulsion and displacement of Palestinians \u2013 a goal for the religious settler coalition,\u201d Ihab Maharmeh, a researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Area C is a West Bank division stipulated by the 1993 Oslo Accords \u2013 which were seen as a path to a Palestinian state. Areas A and B are only inhabited by Palestinians, while Area C is fully under Israeli security control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/0e722fac-f88f-49ea-96d8-de7a12505e15\/bd481482-c6ca-43ac-81f3-f27892e300d1\/1920x1080\/match\/image.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>https:\/\/imasdk.googleapis.com\/js\/core\/bridge3.659.0_en.html#goog_2055101588Play Video<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Video Duration&nbsp;2 minutes 19 seconds2:19<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"effect-of-sanctions\">Effect of sanctions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Israel\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/2024\/7\/19\/how-israeli-settlements-are-taking-over-the-west-bank-as-gaza-war-rages\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expansion of settlements<\/a>\u00a0in the occupied West Bank is regularly criticized by the international community, including by the country\u2019s major backer and ally, the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been longstanding US policy, under Republican and Democratic administrations alike, that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace,\u201d US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the press in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion. And in our judgment, this only weakens \u2013 it doesn\u2019t strengthen \u2013 Israel\u2019s security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, in practice, the US does little to deter Israel\u2019s illegal settlement policies \u2013 which are supported by most across Israel\u2019s political divides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, the US moved its embassy to West Jerusalem, despite Israel\u2019s continued illegal occupation of the eastern half of the city, in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next year, the US recognized Israel\u2019s illegal annexation of the Golan Heights, which are occupied Syrian territory. Both occurred during former US President Donald Trump\u2019s administration but were not reversed under President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In July, the US did sanction three individual settlers and five entities over violence committed in the occupied West Bank. However, that has been insufficient to deter the Israeli state from supporting the settlers \u2013 Palestinians say the Israeli military actively supports and defends the settlers\u2019 actions at times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The current government, which includes Smotrich and fellow far-right wing settler, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has contributed strongly to this policy. The pair have pushed for more settlements as a step towards full annexation and have been rewarded by Netanyahu with more power over the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe sanctions are against settlers, but this government is very much led by settlers and so sanctions remain on the individual and not the organizational level,\u201d Goldberg said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSettlers continue to do everything to harass Palestinians and to actively throw them off their land including all sorts of miniature-scale ethnic cleansings that are backed up by the military.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unless the US and others in the international community change tack and start holding Israel accountable for their policies and actions in the occupied West Bank, the ethnic cleansing and annexation will only continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSanctions on individual illegal settlers will do nothing to deter what is a wider systematic process,\u201d Kenney-Shawa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIsrael is acting with increasing boldness and hubris because the international community has made it clear that it is not willing to take actual measures to hold Israel accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/0f7c240b-a3a5-4355-b131-48f3ec30ae6b\/ce72f77c-7408-4cad-82bd-341b24d3bc1b\/1920x1080\/match\/image.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>https:\/\/imasdk.googleapis.com\/js\/core\/bridge3.659.0_en.html#goog_2055101589Play Video<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Video Duration&nbsp;24 minutes 41 seconds24:41<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reference Link:- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/8\/16\/end-game-what-is-israels-plan-in-the-occupied-west-bank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/8\/16\/end-game-what-is-israels-plan-in-the-occupied-west-bank<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Unfortunate!!! Against the will of the whole world (Except America), Israel is committing Genocide in Palestine and occupying Palestinian Land illegally. Israel continues to expand settlements, with many politicians open about their desire to stop a Palestinian state. In the occupied West Bank, the war on Gaza has provided cover for continued Israeli violence and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[58,893,1231,105,1477,52,2639,2638,51,1333],"class_list":["post-6862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sample-category","tag-america","tag-gaza","tag-genocide-in-gaza","tag-geopolitics-2","tag-holocaust-in-palestine","tag-israel","tag-israeli-brutal-forces","tag-new-settlements","tag-palestine","tag-unsc-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6862"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6864,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6862\/revisions\/6864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}