Since the fighting started in Gaza, Israel has been doing more and stronger military actions in the West Bank.
The city of Jenin in the north is now a place where fighting happens every week, after being a main target for raids before the attacks by Hamas.
I met some Palestinian teenagers who were running from the army on Tuesday. They had the same doubtful and disrespectful attitudes as older men. They made fun of the Palestinian president and his requests for help from the world to protect them from Israel’s occupation.
Israel’s heavy-duty bulldozers and military vehicles were moving near the entrance of Jenin refugee camp. Explosions and gunshots could be heard from other parts of the city as well. The streets were empty and all the stores were closed.
The walls of this city have pictures of young men who were killed by Israeli forces. Some of them were part of groups like Hamas, which the UK and other countries consider to be terrorists. The posters and the faces are changed every year.
Six men died in a military operation on Tuesday. Witnesses said four of them were killed by a drone.
Israel is saying that they are going after people in the West Bank who are part of armed groups, especially those who have hurt Israelis.
The head of Jenin’s hospital, Wissam Bakr, said a very sick 13-year-old child died because they couldn’t get to the hospital for treatment.
“He said that the attacks in Jenin and the killing of young people will make the people very angry because we lose a friend every day. ”
“This won’t make Israel peaceful – it will make more and more people fight back. ”
On October 7th, some people from the group Hamas in Gaza attacked the southern part of Israel. They killed 1,200 people and took 240 other people as hostages. Over 18,400 people died in Gaza during the war.
In the West Bank, 271 Palestinians, including 69 children, have been killed since the attacks – which is more than half of the total number for the year. The United Nations says the Israeli forces have killed almost all of them.
After the Hamas attacks, more people in the West Bank support using weapons to fight back. This is especially true in Nablus and Jenin.
“I can tell by the way people talk, the music they listen to in their cars, and what they say on Facebook and other social media. I also learn from my discussions with my students,” explained Raed Debiy, a political scientist and leader of the Fatah party, which is in charge of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
He said that the attacks were a big moment for Palestinians, just like they were a shocking moment for Israelis.
“He said that a lot of people, especially young people, are supporting Hamas more than ever before. ” “In the last 30 years, there weren’t any role models for the new generation. But now, they see something different and a new story is being made. ”
He said even his 11-year-old nephew doesn’t respect Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but looks up to Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeida because he keeps them safe.
“Palestinian young people have specific things they really want, like owning a house or getting a degree,” said Amjad Bushkar, a political expert from the West Bank.
“But now I think these priorities have completely changed after 7 October. ” More and more people want the homeland to be completely free. They believe this can be achieved through peaceful or armed resistance.
Dr Bushkar said he was in Israeli jails for nine years and used to be part of Hamas’s student group. He said that seven of his family members had been arrested after the attacks on 7 October.
Hamas members in the West Bank have been attacked by Palestinian security forces, not just Israeli ones, because Hamas took control of Gaza by force in 2007. This happened a year after they won parliamentary elections.
However, Bushkar said that something was different now.
“Fatah and Hamas know they need each other, and I believe they will work together more closely in the future. ”
“The Palestinian Authority understood that trying to get rid of Hamas would not work because it is a deeply held belief among the Palestinian people. Hamas also knows it can’t create a Palestinian state without the support of Fatah. ”
Some important people in the Palestinian government are now talking about the good things that could happen if everyone works together, even though the President is not saying the same thing.
Earlier this month, the leader of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh, said in an interview with Bloomberg that they want Hamas to join their government in Gaza.
Qossay Hamed, who knows a lot about Hamas, says that the problems in Gaza might make the political part of the group stronger, but not the military part.
He said that revolutionary movements should have a political outcome from their military actions.
“Hamas has many different trends. ” And there are fights happening inside. I believe the political influence of Hamas will increase after this war because the whole world will be less accepting of them.
Israel wants to get rid of Hamas in Gaza and does not want Hamas or Fatah to be part of the government there in the future.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he will not let people who teach, support, or fund terrorism go to Gaza.
“Gaza will not be controlled by Hamas or Fatah. ”
Some Palestinians think that Gaza suffered too much because of the attacks by Hamas.
However, some people believe that the group’s violent methods were effective in pressuring Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. They compare this impact to that of the Palestinian Authority, which was established 30 years ago after the Oslo Accords to cooperate with Israel in creating a future Palestinian State.
Amjad Bushkar said that after the attacks, the world and international community are now giving more importance to the Palestinian cause.
Many people think the PA is not honest and doesn’t work well. They also can’t pay their workers or police because of a disagreement with Hamas. This happened because of the war in Gaza and arguments over money from Israel.
More Hamas flags and slogans appeared when Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel in exchange for Israeli hostages in Gaza. But the president and security forces of the Palestinian Authority were not seen.
Israel wants to stop Hamas from being in charge in Gaza, but their power is growing here in the West Bank.