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For decades, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has revolved around questions of statehood, security, and the right to self-determination. Recent developments in the occupied West Bank and evolving international stances have brought these issues into sharper focus, exposing the deepening chasm between Israeli actions on the ground and growing international calls for Palestinian statehood. The lived experiences of Palestinians in the West Bank—caught between a weakening Palestinian Authority and expanding Israeli control—highlight the profound human cost and political complexity of the conflict.
**A Father's Loss and a Community Under Siege**
Abdel Aziz Majarmeh’s story is emblematic of the suffering endured by many Palestinian families. Earlier this month, Abdel Aziz watched as Israeli soldiers shot and killed his 13-year-old son, Islam, at the entrance to the Jenin refugee camp. Abdel Aziz, who had returned to the camp—under Israeli military occupation since January—to retrieve family documents, was rendered powerless to protect his child. “In my mind, I keep asking that soldier, ‘why pick on a 13-year-old boy? I’m standing right next to him. Shoot me. Why are you shooting children?’” he said, expressing both resignation and anguish. Israeli authorities claim their soldiers fired to neutralize a threat, but failed to clarify what danger the teenager posed.
Jenin, once considered a hopeful seedbed for Palestinian autonomy under the Oslo Accords, is now a stark illustration of how those hopes have withered. The Oslo Peace Accords of the 1990s placed cities like Jenin under the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) control, with the intention that these enclaves would form the basis for a future Palestinian state. Instead, Israel argues that these areas became hotbeds of terrorism, leading to renewed military incursions. In January, Israel launched a sweeping operation in Jenin and neighboring Tulkarem, sending in tanks and remaining ever since. Large swathes of the camps have been razed, and ongoing demolitions continue to displace residents.
Jenin’s mayor, Mohammed Jarrar, says around 40% of the city is now designated as a military area by Israel, with about a quarter of the population—including all camp residents—displaced. “It was clear from the beginning this was a major political plan, not a security operation,” Jarrar asserts, contending that the Israeli government is laying the groundwork for annexing the West Bank and is determined to stifle any opposition.
**The Erosion of Palestinian Authority and the Rise of International Recognition**
Alongside military measures, Israel has exerted economic pressure on the Palestinian Authority by withholding crucial tax revenues. Israel justifies this by accusing the PA of funding terrorism, referencing payments historically made to families of killed Palestinian militants—a policy the PA says it has now ended. The financial stranglehold has left the PA struggling to pay its own employees, including teachers and police officers, further weakening its already fragile grip on governance and security.
Despite these setbacks, recent moves by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other countries to recognize a Palestinian state have injected a measure of hope for Palestinian leaders. While more than 140 countries have already extended such recognition, the decisions by major Western nations are particularly significant. For Mayor Jarrar, this recognition is vital: “It confirms the fact that the Palestinian people possess a state, even if it is under occupation. Recognition will shape the future of the Palestinian people, and the international community will be called on to defend their rights.”
Still, Jarrar acknowledges that international recognition is unlikely to change the immediate reality on the ground. He anticipates that Israel will respond with even greater efforts to solidify its hold over the West Bank, but believes the symbolic value and potential long-term legal and diplomatic implications are worth the risk.
**Israel's Hardening Policies and Expansion of Settlements**
The gap between Israeli policy and the positions of Western allies has never been wider. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has built his political career on opposing the creation of a Palestinian state. Speaking to settlers in the West Bank, he declared, “There will be no Palestinian state. This place is ours.” His government, bolstered by far-right allies, has accelerated the expansion of settlements and is increasingly open about plans for formal annexation. Finance Minister Bezalel