By Patricia Martínez Sastre and Jorge Fuentelsaz
West Bank, May 3 (EFE).- In the occupied West Bank, Israeli activist Dror Etkes is bemused when armed young settlers halt his car, inquiring about his affiliations and origins.
It’s not fear that troubles Etkes, but rather the reality that in this occupied territory, being Palestinian equates to being unwelcome.
“Why should I fear? My accent and skin color offer me protection,” says Etkes.
He is the founder of NGO Kerem Navot and has spent over two decades monitoring the proliferation of Israeli settlements in the occupied region.
Despite his confidence, Etkes takes precautions. He ensures that settlers don’t spot the two journalists accompanying him as they document the situation.
In the eastern reaches of the West Bank, Palestinians are increasingly marginalized. Over the years, Israel has swiftly displaced them by declaring their lands as state property or military zones, while encouraging settler expansion.
“A year ago, Bedouin shepherds roamed these lands. Now, it’s desolate,” says Etkes.
As Etkes drives along Alon Road, linking the northern and central West Bank, he pauses to photograph what seems to be a new settler outpost established in recent days in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
Since Oct. 7, when a Hamas attack triggered a new conflict in Gaza, 15 outposts have emerged across the West Bank.
This surge, according to experts, signifies not only a land grab but also a shift towards targeting Palestinians in their homes, not just where they graze.
The pastoral community of Ras al Tin was among the first to be forcibly evicted and subjected to organized assaults by settlers.
Since then, 18 more communities have suffered a similar fate, displacing over 1,000 Palestinians.
The emptied eastern expanse spans thousands of hectares, featuring rugged terrain and desert landscapes.
Only two Palestinian villages, Mughayyir a Dir and Duma, remain, besieged by settlements and outposts.
In Duma, tensions have escalated, particularly since the death of a 14-year-old settler on Apr. 13.
The aftermath saw a week of settler violence, backed by the Israeli army, resulting in the killings of at least four Palestinians, dozens injured by bullets, and widespread destruction.
Duma’s mayor, Suleiman Dawabsha, describes the situation as akin to “living in a small prison,” with settlers and the army obstructing residents from farming, assaulting them, and damaging infrastructure.
“The danger now lies in the attacks and intrusions into our homes,” Dawabsha says, noting the dramatic escalation in settler violence since Oct. 7. “The situation has changed a lot and it has worsened.”
In the last seven months, the West Bank has seen over 800 settler attacks, resulting in the deaths of at least 31 Palestinians and injuries to 500 others, reportedly by either law enforcement or settlers, as per the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Dawabsha attributes much of the turmoil to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his alliances with ultranationalist figures, who have empowered settlers and accelerated land confiscations.
Itamar Ben Gvir, a settler with a history of violence, is now the National Security Minister, who has allegedly armed thousands of settlers and created militias.
War Cabinet Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also a settler in the West Bank, is responsible for the increase in the confiscation of Palestinian lands.
By the end of March, the Israeli Army had designated 800 new hectares in the West Bank as state land.
Coupled with the nearly 300 hectares appropriated in February, this marked the largest land expropriation since the Oslo Accords of 1993, a move strongly criticized by the NGO Peace Now.
Calling for international intervention, Dawabsha stresses the urgent need for his community to regain normalcy amid mounting challenges.
“We are uncertain about the future under this colonizing government,” he said. “But it’s a trajectory increasingly leading towards an explosion.” EFE
pms-jfu-ssk
