Amid a tenuous ceasefire in Gaza, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has erupted on a new front as Israeli security forces launched a major operation in the West Bank city of Jenin. Codenamed “Iron Wall,” the raid involved military, police, and intelligence units and aimed to bolster Israel’s control over the restive area. The incursion left at least six Palestinians dead and dozens wounded, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The operation unfolded against a backdrop of escalating violence by Israeli settlers, who attacked Palestinian villages in apparent retaliation for the release of Palestinian prisoners in a hostage exchange deal with Hamas. Settlers torched vehicles and properties, injuring over 20 Palestinians. The rampage followed a controversial decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to rescind sanctions on far-right settler groups accused of anti-Palestinian violence.
Israel Vows to Crush “Iranian Axis” in West Bank
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the Jenin raid as part of a broader campaign against Iran’s influence in the region. “We act methodically and resolutely against the Iranian axis wherever it sends its arms – in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Judea and Samaria,” he declared, using the biblical names for the West Bank.
Israel has long accused Iran of funneling weapons and funds to Palestinian militant groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The 15-month Gaza war, triggered by Hamas rocket fire in October 2023, has killed over 800 Palestinians in Israeli strikes, the Palestinian health ministry says. Jenin, a stronghold of armed factions, has borne the brunt of Israeli raids even as the Palestinian Authority has sought to assert control.
Settlers Unleash “Pogrom” as Trump Lifts Sanctions
The Israeli crackdown coincided with a surge in settler aggression that Palestinian officials likened to a “pogrom.” Ultranationalist Israelis rampaged through Palestinian towns, setting fires and stoning cars, after Israel freed 26 Palestinian detainees in a deal to retrieve three Israeli captives held by Hamas.
“The Israeli settlers are wreaking havoc in the West Bank with the blessing of the U.S. administration,” charged a spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
– Palestinian Authority statement
The settler violence intensified after President Trump rescinded an executive order authorizing sanctions on Israelis implicated in attacks on Palestinians. The February 2024 measure, enacted under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, had blacklisted far-right settler activists and groups. Its revocation signaled a sharp shift in U.S. policy and was denounced by Palestinians as a “green light” for extremism.
Fragile Truce Endures as Tensions Simmer
The upheaval in the West Bank unfolded in stark contrast to the relative calm in Gaza, where a shaky ceasefire brokered by Egypt and Qatar took hold after the prisoner swap. Still reeling from the devastation of the protracted war, both Israel and Hamas appeared intent on preserving the truce even as they vowed to rearm for future battles.
- Gaza death toll tops 3,000 after 15 months of fighting
- Over 500 Israelis killed by Hamas rockets and raids
- Billions in damage to homes, infrastructure on both sides
Regional powers are watching warily as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict mutates and metastasizes. With Iran and its proxies vowing to open new fronts against Israel, and the U.S. seen as an increasingly unreliable broker, the prospects for a durable peace appear more remote than ever. As the Palestinian Authority wanes in the West Bank and Gaza factions retrench, Israel may find its overwhelming military might insufficient to quell an aggrieved people’s yearning for freedom.
